THE Appledore Book Festival has planted a tree to mark the 150th birthday of its village library.

The tree, complete with protective guard and a commemorative plaque, has been positioned opposite the library on the Quay at Appledore and was donated by the Festival after this year's successful event.

The plaque was unveiled by Devon county councillor Andrew Eastman, from Appledore.

Festival events manager, Jim Jackson, said: "After all the hard work put in by Friends Of Appledore Library and the people of Appledore to save our library from closure it would be unworthy of us were we not to commemorate its 150th anniversary in some way and at the same time celebrate its permanence as a part of village life."

By a quirk of fate, the birthday celebrations which occurred during this year's Festival also coincided with the news that Devon County Council had decided to fully fund the library.

Festival director Nick Arnold said: "The Appledore Book Festival is giving the tree for everyone to enjoy as a celebration of 150 years of Appledore history.

"We believe that the love of reading and learning in life is like a tree that should grow and flourish in the years to come.

"Appledore Library is where the Book Festival began and in many ways it's the home of the Festival.

"It's the place where people discover new and exciting books by new and exciting authors - in some ways its like a year-long book festival.

"Now that Appledore Library is once more being fully-funded the Appledore Book Festival is planning to use the library as a base to improve reading and a love of books not just in the Festival but throughout the year."

Appledore Library came into being in 1859 when a block-making workshop belonging to William Haynes was opened by local boot-maker Samuel Fursey as the Working Men's Reading Room.

It was an alternative activity to drinking alcohol. Newspapers such as the

North Devon Journal

were available and later books were introduced.

It was formally opened as a Devon County Council library in 1952.

Then in 2006, it was threatened with closure and saved after a community campaign led by Friends of Appledore Library.