National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £250,000 to £5million
Ham Hill in South Somerset has a rich history dating back to the Stone Age when its first settlers arrived over 5,000 years ago. Today, it offers the community 173 hectares of country park, including fantastic views, landscapes and a variety of wildlife.
However, many of Ham Hill's stories are being lost. Thanks to a £1.6million grant, a new visitor centre will be created to help people enjoy and learn about the area.
This project is vital to ensuring the future sustainability of this incredible country park; not just as a Scheduled Monument and biodiversity hotspot, but also as a place where people come to relax, have fun, socialise and learn.
Councillor Sarah Dyke, Environment Portfolio Holder
The Uncovering Ham Hill’s past for its future project aims to:
- conserve and protect the wealth of archaeology, from the Iron Age hillfort to the Romans
- improve biodiversity and habitat management on this Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
- engage local communities with the wildlife and heritage, geological and cultural, on their doorstep
- create a visitor centre, including a café and exhibition space for local artists
- offer accessible facilities, including a Changing Places toilet
