THURGOLAND Local History Group is celebrating after securing a £38,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the village pump.

The money was awarded to the group on Monday and will be used to renovate the pump on the A629 Halifax Road and extend the footpath and hand rail around it.

The group will also publish a history book and create a DVD and photographic collection of the parish's past including a selection from over 1,000 glass plates donated by villager Fred Roebuck. The book will be published by local company FDA Designs.

Part of the grant will also be used to develop a website and produce an illustrated local history trail for people outside the village as well as its residents.

Chairman Maurice Williams, who worked on the application for six months, said: "We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has enabled the group to collate and preserve the history of our parish for future generations."