THE heritage of a village has been celebrated by residents working on two community projects.

People in Edmondsley, near Chester-le-Street, have been working with Groundwork West Durham to create two benches for the village and a heritage walk leaflet.

Children from Edmondsley Primary School worked with artist Jim Roberts to design the metalwork seats, which are based on the theme of nature.

One of them has been placed on the main street in an area chosen by children because a well-known local resident often sits there.

The second seat overlooks the British Coal reed bed to the east of the village, from where people can see as far as the coast.

Residents George Steele, Barry Wood and Ivan Scott have also put together a walking guide to the area's history and wildlife, which can be found in local libraries, tourist information centres and other visitor attractions.

The projects have been run by Edmondsley Community Partnership.