Volunteers working to preserve links between a Bradford village and the Bronte family are appealing for help.

Their action group has spent almost four years restoring the grounds of the Old Bell Chapel, Thornton, where the Brontes lived before moving to Haworth.

Last year was the 150th anniversary of the death of Charlotte Bronte at the age of 39. She and her siblings will forever be associated with Haworth. But Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne were all born at the parsonage on Market Street, Thornton.

Their father Patrick and wife Maria Branwell moved to the village in 1815 from Hartshead, near Brighouse, when Patrick became curate at the Bell Chapel.

Nearly two centuries later, the Old Bell Chapel Action Group was launched to protect and improve the remains of the chapel and surrounding cemetery.

Since February 2002, co-ordinator Steve Stanworth and around eight volunteers have cleared tons of brambles, bushes and undergrowth, repaired graves, built pathways and highlighted the site's heritage.

The group now aims to put Thornton firmly on the Bronte map by forging links with Haworth.

Mr Stanworth said: "The site is very important. It contains the chapel where Patrick Bronte preached and Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Ann were all baptised.

"But the cemetery also contains 6,000 bodies, including people who have played a prominent part in Bradford's history."

Thanks to the action group, a £10,000 pathway now leads from the cemetery entrance on Thornton Road to the Grade II-listed chapel. And lights and a history board are to be erected this year after the group received more than £13,000 from the Local Heritage Initiative.

The cleared site has welcomed visitors from across the globe. A family from New York were thrilled to find the grave of their great-great-grandfather revealed. "They travelled over here and were delighted to find his grave," added Mr Stanworth.

"We have also had plenty of praise from the local community who are delighted with what we have done.

"We are here every Saturday morning and have people of all ages helping.

"When we started, nothing had been done for 16 years," said Mr Stanworth, of Allerton. "Weeds and brambles five-foot-high covered the site. Now it has come alive and has helped me and many others learn more about the history of the Brontes and Bradford.

"The chapel is a very important link in the Bronte story which is often passed over. Hopefully we can help change that."

Mr Stanworth said the group was hoping to welcome more volunteers and anyone is welcome to join at a meeting on Saturday from 10am to noon in the church hall or by contacting stevestanworth@blueyonder.co.uk.