THE PEOPLE of Fewston have started a major fund-raising drive to try and preserve scores of ancient gravestones.

A total of 78 headstones, out of 260 memorials at Fewston Church, were laid flat by Harrogate Borough Council for safety reasons following a review of all its cemeteries in 2001.

The church, worried at both the affect on visiting relatives and on the condition of the stones, is now facing a £10,000 bill to get all of the graves made safe and upright again.

The headstones in the churchyard date back to 1613 and run through to the late 1880s, providing a unique historical record of the history of the Washburn Valley.

Priest in Charge at Fewston Church, Reverend Sue Wharton, said: "Some of these stones are very old and they were designed to stand upright. It doesn't look very good like this, when half are up and half are down.

"And also for relatives it is disappointing when they come to visit a loved one's grave and find it laid flat, albeit for a very good safety reason.

"It will cost a lot to put all of the headstones upright again, around £10,000 which is roughly £100 per grave, and we'll have to do it in batches through fund-raising.

"There is a strong feeling in the village that people would like to see this sorted out as soon as possible, and Harrogate Borough Council has accepted that.

"So it has agreed to give a small grant towards each gravestone but we will have to fund the bulk of it and it's a lot of money for such a small community.

"But some families have given us payment already and we have more fund-raising ideas, so I think we will get there."

Some families living in the village have been there for generations, with church records going back to 1593.

Others emigrated in previous centuries but their descendants still return to the church from overseas to try and trace their ancestor's graves.

Next Thursday, September 30, will see a choir from Leeds Girls High School performing at a 7.30pm fund-raising concert in the church for the campaign.

Tickets cost £6, which includes light refreshments, and will be available on the door.

Church reader John Charman is grateful for the school's assistance and hopes others in the surrounding community will come forward to help.

He said: "Few churchyards have memorials dating from the early 17th Century and these stones represent a unique historical record of times past.

"The effects of the typhus epidemic, which swept the district from 1838 to 1840, are discernable, as is the result of the creation of the Leeds Corporation systems of dams in the 1860s, which effectively destroyed the community, causing many families to leave the area.

"We are anxious to begin restoration work on these headstones as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration.

"It's always a problem raising money although there has been a donation and we've got some coming in.

"This concert will raise between £300 and £400, we hope, which is great but obviously there is a lot more to collect and you have to just keep plugging away at it.

"The regular worshippers at this church are quite a small group so it would be impossible for them to dig and deeper into their own pockets, that's why we're reaching out to the wider community to achieve this."

l Anyone who has a fund-raising idea or who wishes to donate money can contact Mr Charman on (01943) 466712 or Mrs Wharton on (01943) 461139.