Award of £184,705 will help fund essential work to keep Creswell Crags open
An award of £184,705 to Creswell Crags from the Museum Estate and Development Fund will allow essential repairs and improvements to be done at the historic site of international interest.
Creswell Heritage Trust, the independent charity that manages the site, will use the funding to safeguard access to the much visited Creswell Crags site, renowned for its dramatic limestone landscape and unique Ice Age archaeology.
It will enable vital repairs to be carried out to the site's ageing infrastructure, improving the overall visitor experience.
This work will include replacing much-used steps leading up to the caves, that allow visitors, including thousands of school pupils each year to access the caves and learn about the lives of people and animals during the Ice Age.
Without intervention, continued access to these historic caves could not be guaranteed.
The funding will also contribute towards the replacement of the wooden footbridge that crosses counties on the site - connecting Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
The bridge has undergone much repair work over the years, and can now be replaced by a better structure.
However, while the much appreciated grant is a major boost to the Crags, Creswell Heritage Trust still needs to raise £14,200 in match funding to complete the full programme of work.
The Trust’s ‘Care for the Crags’ campaign highlights the need for public support in helping to maintain the site, ensuring people can still visit the remarkable places where Ice Age ancestors survived thousands of years ago.
A dedicated fundraising page has been launched, and a number of local organisations have already pledged support through donations and help in kind, including the Gordon Bramah Charitable Settlement, The BNA Charity, Planterior and Lhoist.
Anyone wishing to support the project can donate via: https://donate.justgiving.com/charity/creswell-crags/donation-amount
Laura Bird, head of development at Creswell Crags, said: “It’s wonderful that we have the support of the Museum Estate and Development Fund, as it means we can make vital repairs to our ageing infrastructure across the site.
"Without this funding, we simply couldn’t guarantee how much longer access to the caves could be maintained. They are essential to our story and to the survival of our organisation.
"The fund also enables us to carry out a great deal of essential maintenance across the site, some of which won’t be immediately visible to visitors, but which will significantly improve the care of our collections and protect the exceptional significance of Creswell Crags for generations to come.”
Creswell Crags is an important site for understanding the humans, animals, and past environments of the Ice Age. The site is home to more than 20 caves and rock shelters. Britain's oldest work of art, a fine engraving of a horse on animal rib bone, was found in Robin Hood Cave.
The Museum Estate and Development Fund is administered and delivered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and supports urgent maintenance work that helps protect the nation’s museum estates.
Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy said: “Arts and culture are the beating hearts of our communities, they have the power to unite us in the face of division and break down barriers to opportunity. We want to harness the power to help build a brighter future for people of the East Midlands.”