AWARD-winning author and poet Blake Morrison has agreed to become patron of Raikes Road Burial ground – a time capsule to Skipton's Victorian and literary heritage.

Blake, whose best-selling book And When Did You Last See Your Father? was made into a movie, is a former student of the town's Ermysted's Grammar School.

His patronage comes as the Friends of Raikes Road Burial Ground celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Rudyard Kipling.

Kipling was a frequent visitor to the Skipton, which was home of his grandfather, the Rev Joseph Kipling, a Wesleyan Methodist minister, who is buried in Raikes along with his wife.

Blake, professor of creative writing at Goldsmith's College in London, was approached by Jean Robinson, a founder member of the Friends group, because of the ground's rich literary connections.

Their work has uncovered links to the Brontës. Buried there is the Rev John Cartman, a master at Ermysted's Grammar School, whose brother, William, officiated at both Charlotte and Patrick Brontë's funerals.

The brother-in-law of Beatrix Potter, Thomas Heelis, who was steward to the Earl of Thanet, who owned Skipton Castle, is interred there along with members of the Birtwhistle family, wealthy cattle drovers who owned property in Gatehouse of Fleet in Dumfries and knew Scottish poet, Robert Burns.

Blake said: "I was delighted to hear of all the work that has gone into restoring the site and felt honoured to be asked to be a patron."

Like many people, he was unaware of the plethora of literary connections to the site.

Mrs Robinson said: "We're so pleased Blake has agreed to be our patron. It's extremely apt that someone of his literary standing should be our patron,especially as he has such close ties to Skipton."

The Friends have been exploring the plot's heritage for the past two years. It has been unused for more than 140 years.

It also contains the box tomb of John Tasker, the founder of the Craven Herald, and the grave of Private Thomas Preston, of Embsay, a hero of the Napoleonic wars, who was buried with full military honours, aged 93.

Raikes Burial Ground was opened in 1846 as an overspill from the churchyard at Holy Trinity. It closed in 1876 when the municipal cemetery at Waltonwrays was set up and had remained largely ignored until the Friends took up the challenge of unearthing its history.

They have won a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and been supported by Skipton Town Council and Craven District Council. They hope to open it up to the public in the long term.