A FASCINATING exhibition charts the history of a local Sunday school.

The display, which opens at Red House museum at Gomersal on Saturday, traces the development of the first Sunday school in Cleckheaton.

Its story is being told in 1805-2005: Two Hundred Years of Sunday School Education in Spen Valley.

The school was opened in 1805 by Congregationalists at the old Red Chapel in Providence Place.

It continued at Grove Chapel, Gomersal; Providence Place Chapel and Westgate Chapel, Cleckheaton; and at Hightown and Drub.

State education did not begin until after William Forster's 1870 Education Act, so for Spen Valley to begin a school 65 years earlier was a great achievement.

It was not without opposition, with some people calling it ``a wild scheme" which would not last long.

They were wrong - and 200 years later the Sunday school tradition is still going strong.

Following the closure of Providence Place Chapel in 1991, the Cleckheaton congregation moved to Grove United Reformed Church, where Sunday school still takes place.

Jean Scaife, who is archivist at Grove United Reformed church, has been researching the history of the Sunday school. She has written the text and researched old photos for the exhibition.

She said: "I thought 200 years of voluntary education deserved recognition and a wider audience."

Also on display will be artefacts relating to the Sunday schools, including crockery from Providence Place, centenary celebration items and Sunday school prizes.

Reminiscences from former pupils can be seen and visitors can add their own memories if they wish.

The display will be showing in the Spen Valley Stories gallery in the restored Cartsheds at Red House Museum from next Saturday until Sunday, June 19.

Opening times are: Monday to Friday, 11am to 4.30pm; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4.30pm. Admission is free.