Museum scoops £3m lottery grant

The museum is 100-years-old

A County Durham museum has scooped a multi-million pound lottery windfall.

The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, will use the £3.3m Heritage Lottery Fund cash to expand access to collections, especially of silverware.

Last week, the 100-year-old museum, which receives core funding from Durham County Council, received a £500,000 grant from the Monument Trust.

The new money will also go to improve visitor facilities, including ground floor toilets.

Museum director Adrian Jenkins said: "We are absolutely delighted to receive confirmation of this generous award from The Heritage Lottery Fund.

"The museum is going through a very exciting period and this will allow us to realise our aims of creating better access to the collections while enriching visitors' enjoyment."