Cranford Park has been awarded £2.28 million by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund following a successful restoration bid.
Hillingdon Council has given its approval for the £3.47 million restoration project. The £2.28 million National Lottery funding will go towards the delivery phase of the project. The remaining sum is being funded by the council and through other sources, including Section 106 contributions and the Heritage of London Trust.
The funding will help pay for essential repairs to Cranford Park’s historic stables, garden walls, ha-ha and historic landscape as well as the introduction of new visitor facilities and the regeneration of the orchard, woodland and meadows.
Cranford Park is situated alongside the River Crane and which was once part of the grounds of Cranford House, the country home and hunting lodge of the Earls of Berkeley for 300 years.
For the first time in its history, the huge vaulted cellars, which are all that survives of Cranford House, will be open to the public for events and exhibitions. A new cafe will be built above the cellars.
Improvements will also be made to outdoor visitor facilities, including the addition of circular cycling and walking trails, two new play areas, an informal football pitch and a more accessible car park with electric car charging and disabled bays. There will also be renovations to St Dunstan’s subway under the M4 and renovations to the three main entrances.
Stuart McLeod, Director London and South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “The importance of access to and love for our parks and open spaces has become very clear over the last four months. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we’re pleased to support a bright and welcoming future for Cranford Park and the communities the restoration will benefit.”
