AN exhibition that has been touring community venues in South Lakeland and North Lancashire since September was visited by Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron.

In February the Sedbergh School Foundation was awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), to preserve and provide access to the archive collection of Casterton School.

As part of December’s National Lottery #thankyou Week, the National Lottery invited Mr Farron to visit one of the ongoing projects and he chose to visit the Casterton School exhibition at The Archive and Heritage Centre, Back Lane, Sedbergh.

The collection includes original documents recording the education of the Bronte sisters who were educated at the school in 1824 as well more recent items donated by former staff and pupils.

"It was fascinating to see the history of this school, whose forward-looking approach gave girls, including the Brontë sisters, a greater opportunity to reach their potential at a time when they would be treated as second-class citizens," said Mr Farron. "This exhibition plays an important role in keeping the school’s history alive and I’d encourage local people to pay a visit to explore how the school transformed the lives of young women in our area.”