Derbyshire heritage venue lands huge lottery grant for renovation and restoration plans

The funding will support the development phase on the £1million Heart of the Park project at the Whitworth, on Station Road, intended to futureproof the building and preserve its historic features for future generations.

Alan Long, chair of the charity, said: “We thank the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players for their support. This funding will make a real difference to the Whitworth, the people of Derbyshire Dales and the environment.

“We are really excited about making this happen and working with local people over the next few years. There will be lots of opportunity for people to get involved in the project to ultimately continue the work of Sir Joseph and Lady Louisa Whitworth.”

HLF regional director Robyn Llewellyn added: “Investing in heritage means investing in the community it belongs to, which is why we are proud to support the Whitworth and Heart of the Park, thanks to National Lottery players.”

The work will ultimately include reinstating the original Victorian terrace at the back of the building, linked to the venue’s café, allowing visitors to better enjoy the views across the surrounding parkland and out into the Peak District.

The building will also be made fully accessible so that wheelchair users, for example, will be able to move from car park to terrace and through the interiors without any problems.

There will also be changes in the ten-acre park, with plans for replanting some areas to increase biodiversity on the site, and energy efficiency improvements costing around £60,000 to reduce the carbon footprint of the venue’s operations.

General manager Paul Taylor said: “The building dates back to 1890, so any work like this has its challenges. It’s a beautiful building but the entrances are all small, narrow and dark. We want to open it up to be much more welcoming and inviting.

“The Whitworth has historically always needed to rely on funding from councils to continue operating, and it’s only recently we’ve been in a position to stand on our two feet and take on a huge project like this.

“We began thinking about it around 2018 as part of a five-year plan, funded by a smaller lottery grant, and something like 95 per cent of development phase projects eventually receive funding for the delivery phase.”

He added: “This grant will allow us to take on the necessary consultants, employ a project manager and volunteer coordinator and get all the preliminary architectural plans done.

“All being well, visitors will start to see things changing in about a year, but we should have our volunteer coordinator in place in a couple of months and that will open up lots of opportunities for people to get involved.”

Possibilities for community participation include hands-on tasks such as repairing dry stone walls and researching the history of the building, but Paul and his colleagues hope people’s enthusiasm will go much further.

He said: “We want to engage with local residents and all our stakeholders, hear their ideas and feed all that into the delivery phase.”

For all the latest goings-on at the venue, see www.thewhitworth.org.

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