VISITORS can enjoy a fascinating glimpse of the more recent history of an ancient ruin, thanks to a legacy from a local family.

Bilsdale-born stonemason John Weatherhill worked at Rievaulx Abbey, North Yorkshire, for 30 years and has been credited with the removal of thousands of tonnes of debris from around the 850-year-old monument after the First World War.

However, he also captured the painstaking process on film, in paintings and in writing - and the collection has been left to English Heritage by his daughter, Mabel Garbutt, of nearby Helmsley, on the condition it remains at the abbey.

"This is a delightful collection, offering a wonderful insight into life at the abbey in the early 20th Century,'' said head custodian John Lax.

"John Weatherhill combined his outstanding skills as a mason with his deep love for the site. We are grateful to his family for allowing his legacy to be lodged permanently at the abbey."

English Heritage has already catalogued the collection and sent some of the more fragile items for professional conservation.

However, the vintage Kodak camera Mr Weatherhill used to record some of the images is to be loaded with film and new pictures taken, to try to reflect how the abbey has changed over the years.

* A modern stonemason from York is on his way to Dresden, in Germany, to help with repairs to the cathedral damaged by allied bombing during the Second World War.

Lindsay Hogarth will be among 30 professionals from across Europe working on the project from Sunday, putting the finishing touches to the restoration programme.

The 22-year-old began an apprenticeship in the York Minster works department in June last year, with no experience.

Since then, he has completed an exchange programme at Lincoln Cathedral and represented the Dean and Chapter of York at the International Stone Festival, in Germany.