THE Lawn care home in Holybourne, run by national charity Friends of the Elderly, was once home to Victorian writer Elizabeth Gaskell.

And children from Andrews’ Endowed School visited the home to commemorate 150 years since the writer’s death.

Last Thursday’s visit was part of a Victorian-themed week of activities at The Lawn, kicked off by the children who dressed in Victorian costume and read to the residents.

Throughout the rest of the week a number of speakers visited The Lawn to give talks about Gaskell and the Victorian era, while village bellringers from Holy Rood Church, where a bell is inscribed with Elizabeth’s name, rang bells in memory of Gaskell and Armistice Day.

The week was rounded off with a Victorian-themed high tea and music from pianist Kevin Jacot.

Elizabeth Gaskell was famous for writing Mary Barton, Cranford, and North and South. She worked closely with Charles Dickens and was a good friend of Charlotte Bronte, so much so that when she died Gaskell wrote her biography titled The Life of Charlotte Bronte.

Noreen Ross, manager of The Lawn, said: “We had a wonderful time celebrating Elizabeth Gaskell.

“We are all very proud of our heritage and felt that it was important to mark the fact that the talented writer once lived in our beautiful home.”

She added: “Our residents got involved in the activities and were pleased to meet with the children from Andrews’ Endowed School.”