A RESTORED tomb to an eleven-year-old boy has been unveiled after more than 160 years of neglect.

The canopied tomb to Henry Bird, a Magdalen College School chorister, who died in 1856, has been lovingly restored and marked with an official ceremony in Oxford's Holywell Cemetery.

The monument, complete with the school’s emblem of lilies and a depiction of Henry in his chorister’s surplice, was described at the time as ‘one of the most perfect productions of its kind’.

The Friends of Holywell Cemetery honoured the tomb and paid tribute to Henry Bird at a ceremony on Thursday.

Martin Murphy, a trustee of Friends of Holywell Cemetery, who arranged and conducted the ceremony, said: "I was pleased with the turnout and we just wanted to mark the restoration.

"It had accrued 160 years of grime and decay and the figure of the boy was totally black before the work began.

"We are grateful to the Pilgrim Trust for the grant which made the work possible, and to Cliveden Conservation for carrying out the difficult task with such care.

He added: "It's a question of finding a balance between nature and history."

A guide will be available for visitors to collect from the main gate of the cemetery which will walk people through the number of famous graves including Kenneth Grahame - author of The Wind in the Willows.

Bird's tomb, however, now stands out among the others.

His mother Lucy Bloxam entrusted the design to prominent architect J. C. Buckler and figure of Henry was carved by Thomas Earp, well known for the statues at the Houses of Parliament.

At his funeral in 1856 - after he died from typhoid fever - a group of 30 choristers sang the funeral service and four more carried the coffin and two scattered flowers along the route.

Professor Laurence Brockliss, a history professor at Magdalen College, said: "Both the college and the school are extremely grateful to everyone involved in this restoration.

"It's a nice occasion the unveiling and perhaps one to reflect on Henry and the many other undergraduates and choristers of Oxford University who died young from illness and misadventure, and there were many around his time.

"I hope many more people association with the school and college will come to see the tomb and keep the memory of young Mr Bird alive."

Secretary of Friends of Holywell Cemetery, Janet Keene, said: "It's a lovely tomb in a very peaceful and beautiful spot in the city so it's great to see it has been restored.

"A lot of people use this space, I often see people walking around and we have great support from volunteers who carry out maintenance work.

She added: "I hope it will bring more people to the cemetery and highlight the importance of such a peaceful place."