A centuries-old piece of timber has been given a new lease of life in the form of a cross carved by pupils at St Aidan's Church of England Academy in Darlington.

The piece of oak dates back to the 16th century and was removed from the fabric of Durham Cathedral in 1982.

It was selected by students from St Aidan's during a visit to the cathedral's timber store. They then worked with staff at the academy to come up with designs for a cross.

The cross celebrates the life of the northern Saint Cuthbert and was blessed during a ceremony at St Aidan's.

The academy plans to have a cross for each of its four houses and students in Cuthbert were the first to complete their project.

The service was joined by Fr David Sudron, from Durham Cathedral, and the academy's governor, the Venerable Granville Gibson, who came up with the idea for the crosses.

Mr Gibson said: “We plan to have four crosses made from historic timber, one for each house. Bede will have timber from Jarrow, Hilda from Hartlepool and Wilfrid from Ripon. The Cuthbert cross is the first one to have been completed.

“It’s fantastic to think that the oak tree from which it is made was hewn many centuries ago.”

Fr Sudron said: “The cross establishes a tangible link between the cathedral and the academy and with the past.”