To mark National Science and Engineering Week, the church doors were open over three days for the special event – Make it Molecular@Castleton – when visitors of all ages were invited to come along and make a molecule of their choice.

A total of 114 budding scientists, many from local schools, had their photos taken with their molecules in a weekend of discovery.

Passers-by were surprised to see giant buckminster fullerene and diamond molecules spilling out onto the church lawn, where organiser Dr Graeme Jones, of Keele University, had his work cut out tethering them with tent pegs against the powerful Castleton wind.

Prizes were awarded to Elizabeth and Lucy Kenyon and Jack and Mary Wilson for correctly identifying all the 'Mega Mols' on the lawns.
The three-day event was sponsored by Castleton Methodist Church, Make-it-Molecular of Keele University and EPSRC.

Further information on Dr Jones' work can be found at www.makeitmolecular.com