HILPERTON residents have been invited to become part of an unusual new public art project to celebrate the heritage of the area by creating a model village in ordinary streets and public areas.

Inspired by the English tradition of model villages, a series of 1/3 scale farm signs, stiles and gates will mark out the old fields of Hilperton, which has now become a large area of new housing.

The project, called hEdges, is offering residents an opportunity to become part of the artwork by having their photographs of their gardens on the signs, which will be accompanied by the planting of wild fruit trees and bushes in the area.

A selection of the most unusual and creative photographs will also be printed on to 20 miniature farm signs, which also record the old Wiltshire dialect names of the old fields.

It is hoped that each sign will have photo from a home or garden nearby. These signs will be sited on lampposts in the area between Devizes Rd, Paxcroft Brook and the A361/Leap Gate.

Residents can enter their photographs for free via www.h-edges.org.uk up until April 19, with the most intriguing photo winning £100 in vouchers from the Shaw Trust Palmers Garden Centre.

60 runners up will also win a hEdgey Gnome, a limited edition gnome made by the lead artist for hEdges Alex Murdin, which appeared last September at the Hilperton Village Flower and Veg Show.

The project, funded by housing developers Abbey Homes and Taylor Wimpey, has been developed by Hilperton Parish Council, Paxcroft Mead Residents Association, Wiltshire Council and Curo Housing, with the involvement of lots of other groups from the area.