CHILDREN at a primary school in Farnworth have cracked the mystery of a time capsule found in the foundations of a neighbouring church.

The sealed glass bottle, dating back to 1885, was discovered beneath the foundation stone during the demolition of St Peter’s Church in Alexandra Street.

Contractors halted the operation so staff from neighbouring St Peter’s CE Primary could rescue the relic and examine its contents with the children.

A member of Bolton Museum visited the school on Tuesday to open the capsule with pupils and explain a little piece of Farnworth’s history.

They found a copy of the Bolton Chronicle and Farnworth Journal from Saturday July 4, 1885, and a parish magazine from the same year.

They also found an order of service and scroll from the foundation stone-laying ceremony in 1885.

School headteacher Sue Charlton said: “The children were very excited when they found the capsule and when we opened it they were stunned into silence.

“The newspaper just kept unfolding and we were all amazed at the amount of information on the page.

“In September the children will be learning all about the history of the church from real evidence and it will be a fantastic learning experience for them.

“Seeing the church pulled down and finding the capsule has been bit of an emotional rollercoaster for the children.

We really are ending the school year on a high.”

Members of the museum are photocopying the documents found in the capsule for children to study next term when they will delve deeper into the church’s history