Pride of place at the new Godmersham Heritage Centre will be taken by a sea eagle found trapped in the area 138 years ago.

It has returned to the village following painstaking detective work to track it down.

The bird was caught in a fox trap in 1870 at Godmersham Park and found by John Wills, a carpenter and wheelwright.

It was passed on to the owner of nearby Chilham Castle, Viscount St Vincent, and then sent to the world-renowned taxidermist Rowland Ward and returned to the castle where for many years it was on display in the hall.

The story was unearthed in the family diaries of the Wills family after an appeal had gone out to the villagers of Godmersham and Crundale to provide old letters, photographs and artefacts to help trace the history of the area.

“It was then the detective work really began,” said Professor Alf Smyth, a trustee at the Godmersham Heritage Centre.

“There had been a legend of the Godmersham eagle which had got lost in the mists of time and there was no official record until we got our hands on the diary.

“After some extensive research we discovered that a stuffed eagle had ended up in the bird room at Maidstone Museum.”

It has now returned to its spiritual home on permanent loan.

The heritage centre will be opened by the Lord Lieutentant of Kent, Allan Willett, on Friday, July 18, as part of a weekend of festivities in the village including the two day melody of flowers at St Lawrence Church.