A local landmark was lit up as a community came together ahead of St Catherine's Day as part of a spectacular annual event.

The Candles on the Hill was held on St Catherine’s Hill, Abbotsbury, on Sunday and commemorates St Catherine of Alexandria - an important early Catholic martyr - whose feast day is on November 25.

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The event saw the community come together to remember their loved ones. Decorated bags containing LED candle bulbs were placed in a circle on the hill representing a Catherine Wheel and along the pathway leading to the Chapel.

Organiser Barbara Laurie said: “It went fantastically well. We were worried it would have to be cancelled for the weather, but it turned out beautiful. We were all praying to St Catherine and she came good for us.

“The service went well; it was a joyous thing. The lights were the best ever this year. We used almost all of our 600 bags so we could light up further down the path and do the spokes for the wheel.”

Paul Sugg, Chairman of Friends of St Nicholas, said: “It was perfect. Bigger and better than ever.

“This year we went for double luminosity, it made quite a beautiful sight as the sun went down. They really came into their own in the twilight.”

A short service was then held in St Catherine's Chapel as twilight fell. The candles are left to glow throughout the night and are collected the next morning.

The event is expected to have raised over £400 for the Friends of St Nicholas.

Barbara Laurie added: “This year so many younger people got involved. Getting schools involved was important, the head teachers were enthusiastic and kids look forward to the event each year as a heritage project. Really thrilled with the contributions from the four schools participating this year in decorating the bags.

“It is so sweet when the kids come up to the hill to find the bags they decorated.

“Thank you to absolutely everybody, the whole community and especially the kids who used their imagination in a fantastic and creative way to decorate the bags."

The project is run jointly by the Abbotsbury Tourism and Traders Association and Friends of St Nicholas.

All pictures by Graham Hunt Photography.