A GENEROUS donation of four small oil paintings, worth up to £25,000 at auction, has been given to Giggleswick School by a former pupil.

The pictures are to be auctioned at the Old Masters Pictures sale at Christie's in London on April 25, and money from the sale will be given to the school's chapel fund.

Entitled the Four Seasons, the pictures were painted on metal in the early 17th century by a Flemish artist whose identity is not known, but who worked within the circle of Louis de Caullery (1590-1620).

The donation came after Giles Bowring, the school's bursar, wrote to former pupils asking for contributions to the restoration of the Grade Two* listed chapel, which is to be re-opened to the public next year.

So far £650,000 has been spent on the restoration work, and an extra £240,000 was needed for the final phase which will be completed within the next two months.

The paintings were originally owned by Peter Thelluson, who died in 1796. They have been passed down through the generations to the Grant-Dalton family, of Brodsworth Hall.

The Herald believes the donation was made by the late Ronald Stanley-Williams, a former pupil of Giggleswick whose second wife was Pamela Grant-Dalton.

Paul Raison, art expert at Christie's, said the pictures, each measuring 11 by 15 inches, were important because they reproduced the style of a Venetian group of painters called Bessano.

Mr Bowring said: "We are incredibly grateful to people who give money to the school for this purpose.

"This is a very important building, a unique landmark in the Dales.

"People who have been to the school know and love the chapel a great deal. However, it has been a huge drain on the school's finances to maintain it."

The chapel was built at the turn of the 19th century to mark Queen Victoria's jubilee.

Mr Bowring added: "It is a very expensive building. The interior decoration is extremely specialised and of very high quality."

Work started five years ago to restore the dome roof and the mosaic inside the chapel as well as repair the exterior and make it water tight. The final phase is to restore the interior, treating damp, removing damaged plaster and cleaning the stained stone. In some areas the sgraffito work - glazed murals - has been spoiled by water or cracked with age and requires careful repair.

The work needs to be done before the centenary celebrations in October this year, at which the Archbishop of York will preside.

A new oil and electricity supply is planned in addition to a new water supply.