WINCHESTER artist Stephen Harte has created artwork for an information sign at Alresford Eel House.

Since opening in 2008, the Eel House has displayed a number of detailed information boards on its public open days. While informative, these have lacked one essential part - a graphic design of the lifecycle of the eel. This is the extraordinary story of the mysterious 5,000-mile ‘round trip’ of eels from their European homes, to mate in the Sargasso Sea from where their eggs and larvae are taken by the Gulf Stream back to Europe.

This lack has now been remedied by a beautifully designed and printed picture of this amazing journey by Stephen Harte and generously donated by him to the Eel House.

Mr Harte presented his design of the Lifecycle of the Eel to David Woods (chairman of the Eel House Committee) at the eel house on August 13.

The eel house is believed to be one of only two purpose-built 19th century structures dedicated to catching eels. It was used commercially until the numbers of eels declined in the 1980s.

The owner of the eel house is Alresford Town Trust which aims to fully restore the building including the traps although any captured eels would be returned to the river.

Until is started the restoration in 2007 the structure was in danger of collapse. It has since welcomed almost 9,400 visitors as of December 2019.