Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
£5.5M FOREST FUND JUST TREEMENDOUS
Lottery cash stumped up for project
CASTLEWELLAN Forest Park is to get a £5.5million revamp, it has been announced.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has received £2.6million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a fouryear “heritage project” at the site.
The local authority will match the funding.
The project involves the “restoration of a living arboretum” as well as the park’s well-known courtyards being “transformed into a vibrant visitor hub and centre for community use”.
The council said it hopes the Re-rooting our past in the Future: Castlewellan Historic Demesne Project will “connect people with the built and natural heritage within the forest park, as well as restore and celebrate its unique biodiversity”.
The Grange will be developed into a welcome centre, community space and cafe facilities while the courtyards will become a visitor hub and centre for community use with “interpretation, activities, events, environmental education and skills development”.
Council chair Laura Devlin said: “This is a flagship project that will deliver council’s vision of transforming the Park into a dynamic heritage led destination, restoring, celebrating and interpreting the natural and built heritage of the historic demesne. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the members of the Task and Finish Board that have supported the development of this project since 2015.
“I live in Castlewellan and have been on the Board from day one so I am delighted council received this financial support.
“And I look forward to the delivery of the project as it will generate local economic, social and environmental benefits.” The park area belonged to the Annesley family, with much of its natural and built heritage dating back to 1740s.
The council says the walled Annesley Garden is a central focal point for the National Arboretum and the investment will “re-establish the historical nature of the planting in the Arboretum”.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Paul Mullan added: “Landscapes and nature form the bedrock of our culture and heritage – improving wellbeing, sparking curiosity and providing for the communities surrounding and inhabiting them.
“National Lottery players have highlighted natural heritage as especially important, which is why we are proud to award Newry, Mourne and Down District Council a grant to create a heritage-led destination at Castlewellan Historic Demesne.”