A CENTURY on, three villages are keeping alive the memory of their menfolk who fought in World War One.

Through treasured memorabilia, uniforms, photographs and family tales, a new exhibition is to tell the story of more than 280 soldiers from Burton-in-Kendal, Holme and Beetham.

Holme and District Local History Society is staging the display with help from a £4,900 Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

Graham Caley, chair of the society's WW1 working party, said: “It is a great honour for us to be able to commemorate the men from our villages who were prepared to go to war to defend their country and our way of life”.

Volunteers have collected newspaper clippings, letters, photos and family memories to build a clear of those who served a century ago.

Archivists Kath Hayhurst, of Burton, Dorothy Spencer, of Beetham, and Geoff Pegg, of Holme, have devoted months to the project, with invaluable help from Kendal library and local people and organisations.

The exhibition will relate what happened to the soldiers in the Great War, linking them to contemporary families where possible, and it will be opened by Peter Donnelly, curator of the King’s Own Royal Regiment Museum, Lancaster.

It will be staged at Burton Memorial Hall on October 25 and 26, and at Holme Community Centre on November 23.