A SOUND station, weather centre and willow classroom will be part of a new £43,000 science and nature garden to benefit local school children.

Water Street School in Skipton has been successful in its bid to the Government's Building Bridges initiative to forge partnerships between state and private schools.

Water Street's partner is Catteral Hall, Giggleswick.

The two-year project aims to provide a wider range of shared science resources and promote co-operation between diverse groups of pupils and staff.

Award-winning Gargrave gardener Chris Myers has been commissioned to carry out the project and has already drawn up the plans for the nature haven.

He plans to start the work in the Easter holidays and the garden is expected to be ready for the start of the autumn term.

Drawings for the area feature a sculpture, pergola, outdoor willow classroom, a creepy crawlies mural and a rope bridge over a boggy pond.

The "eye" of the area will be made out of recycled blue glass.

Youngsters can also go into a roofless weather station where they can clock the wind speed and measure rainfall.

This is the first school project Mr Myers has worked on.

The gardener, who won silver gilt award at the Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show at Tatton Park, said he was hoping this would lead to other contracts with schools.

Water Street headteacher Jean McCrickard said: "The design which Chris has come up with is very exciting and very child orientated.

"He's really put a lot of thought and care into choosing areas which will give a wide range of scientific environments for our children and children from other schools to study.

"The next stage is to gather ideas from the children themselves so that they really feel that they are a part of the whole project."