Town gets Lottery cash to preserve its heritage

The money, awarded to Middleham Town Council, will pay for a heritage officer to organise community events and to explore, record and protect documents and artefacts.

The settlement dates from Roman times and its 12th Century castle was the home of Richard III, who gave the town its charter in the 15th Century. The growth of the horse-racing industry built the Georgian town and, today, 500 horses are trained at yards in the immediate area.

The town is also famous for the Middleham Jewel, a 15th Century pendant discovered near the castle in 1985 by a metal detector.

It was sold for £1.3m and is now in the Yorkshire Museum, York.

The Heritage Lottery Fund money will allow the town council to appoint a heritage officer for two years, and c o u n c i l l o r s hope that events and exhibitions will chart and preserve the local history and allow more people to learn about it.

Among the events planned are arts and crafts sessions for children, inspired by the local heritage, historical guided walks and lectures, and research projects.

The town council put together the bid with the help of Richmondshire District Council's museum development officer, Julie Biddlecombe, and other local groups and individuals.

Town council chairwoman Tammi Tolhurst said: "It is important that Middleham's unique heritage is fully understood and appreciated and that the whole community is involved in this exciting opportunity.

"An understanding of what makes this community special will help promote even greater feelings of pride and community spirit and allow us to share our heritage with an ever-growing audience."

Fiona Spiers, the regional manager of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: "This is a fantastic project that will allow people to learn about Middleham's rich historical past.

"We are committed to funding projects that every community can take pride in and learn about their local heritage.

"In this case, learning about heritage has never been such fun."