A £956,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund will secure much-needed repairs and conservation work to Farnham's 12th century castle, as well as improving public access to the internationally-important building. The grant is the culmination of more than two-and-a-half years' work on the part of the castle's chief executive, Jim Twiss. Announcing the success of the lottery bid this week, he described it as "absolutely tremendous news which will make a huge difference". The biggest grant the castle has ever received in the past was £137,000, through SITA from the Environmental Trust. "We are over the moon. We can't wait to make a start and get on with investing in the castle," said Mr Twiss. The castle was built in 1138 by Henri de Blois, the grandson of William the Conqueror, though parts have since been rebuilt or extended. Part tourist attraction and part intercultural training and conference centre, its activities are managed by a charity which leases the building from the Church of England. Though world-famous for its Centre for International Briefing and renowned for the annual Venison Dinner, in recent years great strides have been taken in dispelling a "black- tie" image that had developed. The facilities have been opened it up for use by community groups and businesses and encouragement given to local events and hirings for occasions such as wedding receptions. "Suddenly, we are being seen as being part of the community, rather than as an offshoot of 'the school for spies on the hill'," said Mr Twiss. "The grant will enable us to carry out some much-needed repairs and enhance our facilities for the growing number of visitors. Everyone at the castle is extremely grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for supporting this project so generously." Tessa Hilder, regional manager for the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: "Farnham Castle is a fantastic building that deserves to be enjoyed by everyone. "As well as conserving an important heritage asset, this project will give the public much wider access to the buildings, as well as improving education and volunteer opportunities, giving this historic building and its fascinating history a new lease of life." Projects covered by the lottery cash will include a wide range of works to the historic fabric, such as roofs, windows and walls, as well as work to public areas inside the castle. "Obviously with any building that is 800 years old, there are things that always need doing and we do not make enough surplus out of our activities to cover them all," said Mr Twiss. Priority will be given to work needed to preserve the safety of the building and visitors. For instance extensive work is needed to all the high-level windows in the dining room which have safety wiring in place internally because of concerns about their state. The entire project is expected to take two- and-a-half years and will be carefully planned so as not to disturb day-to-day activities. In addition to the essential repair work, new educational materials will be produced about the castle and a part-time educational officer will be appointed to forge closer links with the Museum of Farnham and to encourage more visits by schools. Facilities for the popular Wednesday and Friday tours will also be improved and a new guidebook will be produced in partnership with English Heritage, which is in charge of the castle keep. There will be better signage and interpretation materials on the whole site, better material and more training for the volunteer guides. The castle will need to raise matched funding of £135,000, but Mr Twiss said the charity is already well on the way to that target, with £65,000 already committed. "I hope that people will not be put off helping us by the thought that we have got nearly a million pounds," he said, pointing out that large sum of money out of the grant is for public access rather than the building's fabric. The nature of the building and the need to preserve its historic integrity mean it costs several hundred thousand pounds each year to maintain. "You certainly wouldn't want our heating bills!" Mr Twiss observed.
