Straw bales rolled in Gunpowder Plot village

A village famous for its role in the Gunpowder Plot has staged a county's first bale push.

Forty teams pushed 200kg (441lb) straw bales around an obstacle course in the grounds of Ashby St Ledgers Manor House in Northamptonshire.

The participants included firefighters in full kit and a team from Dubai.

The event raised money for three local charities.

The family of Robert Catesby, who played a leading role in the plot to blow up Parliament in 1605, lived at the manor house.

It is believed the plot was hatched at the manor's gatehouse, which still survives.

The manor and its grounds are now used for weddings and other functions, but it was the first time the grounds had hosted this event.

David Hesketh came up with the idea for the bale push to bring the community together

David Hesketh, one of the organisers, said: "I wanted to bring the community together because the pub had shut, and most people would come home from work, close the door, and you wouldn't see them from one week to the next.

"I came up with the idea that we do a charity event, we look outside the village instead of inside the village, and do the bale push.

"It took nine months to organise and it's been brilliant."