A MULTI-million pound cash boost for culture in the region will help build Europe's biggest treehouse, a world-class indoor cricket pitch and a visitor centre for Britain's oldest floating warship.

Seven projects from across the North-East have won a share of £2.3m for ambitious arts, sports and heritage schemes from the Northern Rock Foundation's Buildings to Inspire and Delight fund.

One of the largest grants, £500,000, has been awarded to the Grade I listed building, the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, for substantial restoration.

Operations director Matt Leng said: "This money will enable us to repair elements of the old building, but also to do things like upgrade the shop and caf, making them into special places."

He said the shop would be extended to include locally-made arts and crafts and the caf would also be extended.

The grant will kick-start the museum's restoration which, in turn, is expected to attract major exhibitions and increase visitor numbers.

The HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool, Britain's oldest warship afloat, has been granted £242,150 to put towards designs for an "inspirational" visitor centre and museum.

The ship, currently docked in Hartlepool's Historic Quay, is still being restored but, once complete, it will be moved into the neighbouring dock alongside its new visitor centre.

The trust in charge of the ship has commissioned renown-ed architects Piers Gough to design the centre as a major modern Hartlepool landmark to complement the 18th century warship.

And in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, the town's Youth Development Trust scooped an award of £236,000 to build an indoor cricket pitch at the Riverside site.

Other projects to benefit were the Theatre Royal in Newcastle, the Newcastle Playhouse, Alnwick Castle's project to build Europe's biggest treehouse and cash for Experience Northumberland at Woodhorn, to redevelop its Colliery Museum.