SLAIDBURN is an ideal place for the study of historic buildings.

The Ribble Valley village has properties dating from the 15th century, and only four houses and a health centre have been built there since 1900.

A £3,500 grant from the Local Heritage Initiative allowed a detailed survey of some of the community's historic buildings.

The project was led by the Heritage Trust for the North West, which runs the Slaidburn Heritage Centre, and supported by many village-based organisations.

A team of volunteers, led by members of Slaidburn Women's Institute, measured and took photographs of properties and studied old family photographs.

The results of their work are on display at the heritage centre.

Crispin Edwards, project officer at the centre, said: "People very often don't know about the place where they live and although the heritage centre mainly serves visitors it is crucial that it is community-led and serves the community as well.

"We want to be able to help people who are interested in the history of their own house."

Already moves are afoot to carry out another heritage project, perhaps recording an oral history of the village, or setting up a archive of photographs of the area.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.