A HERITAGE tool library is to be set up at Stott Park Bobbin Mill, near Newby Bridge, after The Woodmanship Trust was awarded nearly £10,000.

The organisation, which keeps alive traditional rural skills that do not depend on oil or electricity, received cash from the Heritage Lottery Fund's ‘Sharing Heritage’ scheme.

Over the coming months, the group, along with volunteers, will catalogue and restore a collection of hand tools gathered together by Walter Lloyd, who lives in a caravan near Cartmel.

He has been collecting tools for over 27 years, with some of his collection dating back to the 19th century.

Sarah Thomas, Walter's Tools Project co-ordinator, said: “Walter Lloyd has kindly agreed for his collection to be made available to the public. He is deeply knowledgeable and experienced in the uses of these tools and it will be a blessing for current and future generations to achieve this in his lifetime, before this knowledge is lost.

“To achieve this we need help. We will be holding a series of work days throughout the spring on location in the South Lakes to sort the tools for refurbishment from his considerable collection. Then with the help of blacksmiths and tool specialists, we shall restore them to their former glory, ready for use.”

The completed tool library will then be housed at the mill from 2015.

“It will be a way of bringing the unused tools back into the community,” said Walter.

If you have some interest in heritage rural industries and think you could spare at least three days in spring for sorting, cataloguing and refurbishing, contact project co-ordinator Sarah Thomas on walterstools@gmail.com .