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After a scare last autumn when there was an urgent appeal for safe storage, Knaresborough’s iconic trompe l’oeils are safe and well and being put back up around town.

The 13 eye-catching and fun depictions of scenes from Knaresborough’s heritage are always susceptible to deterioration and organisers like to find somewhere warm and dry to store during winter.

For a time last year it looked like the much-loved art installations mounted on buildings which create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimension would have to brave the elements.

That was until Piccadilly Motors’s managing director Simon Watts stepped in with an offer of somewhere safe to store them.

One of Knaresborough's eye-catching and fun Trompe L’oeils which are going back up this week.

And this week, saw volunteers from Knaresborough Lions and Feva festival take the expertly painted trompe l’oeils out of hibernation.

Feva chairperson Gwen Lloyd said: “Thanks to Piccadilly Motors we were able to protect and restore the Trompes over winter.

"Andrew Willoughby, Kevin Lloyd of Knaresborough Lions and Dan Sculthorpe of Revolution took the Trompes down and got them safely packed away.

"Andrew and Christine Willoughby then undertook the necessary restoration of the boards prior to repainting and did a fantastic job.

Knaresborough's Trompe L’oeils being restored after their winter storage.

"We were very fortunate that Chain Lane Community Hub then offered us use of a room to allow Shirley Vine and her team of painters to work their magic in the warm.

"The Trompes are now being put back up around town and are looking great."

The return of Knaresborough’s unusual visual artworks comes in time for the summer season of visitors attracted by Knaresborough Bed Race and Feva Festival.

The first trompe-l'œils were erected in 2008 by Renaissance Knaresborough, a not-for-profit organisation launched in 2002 to bring people and organisations together to maintain and improve the town.

No, it's not a garage door, it's one of Knaresborough's Trompe L’oeils.

Since then, the unusual artworks have been supported by Feva festival, Knaresborough Lions and Renaissance Knaresborough.

Mounted on marine plywood, work is carried out regularly by volunteers to maintain and preserve the impressive paintings with cleaning and revarnishing.

Safe winter storage is regarded as crucial to their survival each year.

Knaresborough Bed Race is on Saturday, June 10.

Safe and well: Knaresborough’s iconic trompe l’oeils going back this week after winter restoration mission