Historic park given £3.3m boost

The first project will be the restoration of the lodge

A project to transform an historic park in Devon has been awarded £3.3m of lottery money.

Once military land, Devonport Park is one of Plymouth's oldest parks and dates back to the 1850s.

The money will be used for improvements including upgrading play areas and pitches and hiring a new park warden.

The project will be led by Plymouth City Council who worked with Friends of Devonport Park and the Regeneration Partnership to draw up the plans.

Chair of the Friends Frank Wilson said it was "wonderful news".

He said: "It is something we have all worked very hard to see happen.

Historic monuments

"It is a been a real team effort and we are delighted that it has paid off."

The park is home to three listed buildings, a rare gun captured during the Boer War, a war memorial, an original park keeper's lodge, and other historic monuments and fountains.

The scheme will cost £5.3m altogether, with additional funding coming from Devonport Regeneration Partnership.

Plymouth City Council has been providing increased management and maintenance of the site.

The first project to get underway in full will be the restoration of the Grade II-listed Lower Lodge.

Cllr Michael Leaves said: "A lot of hard work has gone into making sure this project has all the right ingredients to become not just a great place once more, but to keep the people who live near it involved and excited about all the ideas that will now become reality."