Alston Moor is full of history, and the town of Alston itself is a truly historic settlement with much of interest. Since 1976, the town centre has been a designated Conservation Area, marking its importance, but the difficulties of maintaining the historic features of buildings resulted in it being notified as ‘heritage at risk’. The Heritage Lottery Fund invited applications for work in places deemed ‘at risk’, and after a complex application process, Alston was awarded £1.3 million, with additional funding from Eden District Council, Alston Moor Parish Council and participating property owners of £0.4 million. The Townscape Heritage Project has worked since 2014 with property owners and skilled heritage builders to make significant improvements to the shop fronts and structures within the Conservation Area, helping to retain the historic features and ambience of the town.
The availability of grants for Conservation Areas ‘at risk’ resulted in a successful bid to the The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The purpose is to undertake major work to restore the conservation value of Front Street in Alston. The award of £1.3 million is being augmented with a further £0.4 million from Eden District Council, Alston Moor Parish Council, and the property owners who participate.
All the properties benefitting from the scheme are architecturally important, and lie within Alston’s designated conservation area. Owners pay a proportion of the costs of the work on their properties. Additionally, a programme of events and training opportunities, and work on ‘the public realm’, i.e. the open areas of Front Street, form part of the project.
All the work so far has received great compliments from locals and visitors alike, and has been largely done by local building and craft contractors. One of the important training events was a five-day Conservation Masonry Repair event run by the Scottish Lime Centre, ensuring that eleven local contractors are proficient in working with traditional lime mortars.
The original five-year span of the Project has been extended, after inevitable delays owing to such difficulties as winter weather, closure of Front Street for a series of works, and the time needed to undertake effective surveys and devise plans. Already Front Street is looking more like its old self, and by the end of the Project will be a conservation area to be proud of.
The availability of grants for Conservation Areas ‘at risk’ resulted in a successful bid to the The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The purpose is to undertake major work to restore the conservation value of Front Street in Alston. The award of £1.3 million is being augmented with a further £0.4 million from Eden District Council, Alston Moor Parish Council, and the property owners who participate.
All the properties benefitting from the scheme are architecturally important, and lie within Alston’s designated conservation area. Owners pay a proportion of the costs of the work on their properties. Additionally, a programme of events and training opportunities, and work on ‘the public realm’, i.e. the open areas of Front Street, form part of the project.
All the work so far has received great compliments from locals and visitors alike, and has been largely done by local building and craft contractors. One of the important training events was a five-day Conservation Masonry Repair event run by the Scottish Lime Centre, ensuring that eleven local contractors are proficient in working with traditional lime mortars.
The original five-year span of the Project has been extended, after inevitable delays owing to such difficulties as winter weather, closure of Front Street for a series of works, and the time needed to undertake effective surveys and devise plans. Already Front Street is looking more like its old self, and by the end of the Project will be a conservation area to be proud of.