THE former Rector of Hexham made a welcome return to familiar surroundings last weekend.

The Rt Rev. Graham Usher was at Hexham Abbey for a special day of tours and workshops, which revealed the fascinating discoveries made during an eight-year renovation project at the abbey.

He delivered an inspirational speech during the one-day event, last Saturday, titled Hexham Abbey Revealed: A Day School.

The abbey's education officer Toni Bush said: "It was a lovely day and very much a success.

"We had 56 people booked on the course. Rt Rev. Usher opened the day with a lovely speech, reflecting on the aims of the renovation project at its outset, and the dedication and skills of people involved with carrying it out.

"There is a real appetite for more days like this. Each of the individual workshops focused on a different topic, and could have been entire programmes in their own right."

Rt Rev. Usher served for 10 years as the Rector of Hexham, before leaving to become Bishop of Dudley in the West Midlands, in 2015.

Among the artefacts on display during the event was a medieval painting found in one of the abbey's upper galleries; and an early prayer book.

The day school also included computerised recreations of the abbey in the Anglo Saxon period; a study of the vestments, and discarded stonework from the abbey's five eastern chapels, which were demolished in the 19th century.