Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a total of £72m to six major heritage projects across England

The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a total of £72m to six major heritage projects across England.
The winning projects are:
– Canterbury Cathedral (£11.9m) to set up a new visitor centre, take on four stonemasonry apprentices for site conservation work and organise a range of workshops to help young people
– Nottingham Castle (£12.9m) to fund the redevelopment of the castle museum and art gallery, and open up a set of caves beneath the site
– Bath Abbey (£10.4m) to introduce new underground facilities for visitors such as learning areas and a kitchen, and embark on urgent conservation work
– Beamish Museum (£10.7m) to launch new exhibits focusing on the 1820s and 1950s, including a Georgian coaching inn offering overnight stays, and add 50 four-year apprenticeships
– Blackpool Museum (£13.6m) to create a museum in the Pavilion Theatre of the Winter Gardens recounting the history of Blackpool
– Plymouth History Centre (£12.7m) to establish a history centre housing archives, films and artefacts that illustrate Plymouth’s maritime history
Carole Souter, chief executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “These projects will enhance and re-energise some of England’s best-loved places. They will build on the stories of the past and offer new opportunities for the future.
“Every year the Heritage Lottery Fund looks at a number of applications for major projects requesting £5m or more of our money. Demand for 2014 was higher than ever. We’ll be working closely with all six of our successful applicants as they develop their plans.”