Medieval park set for £2.6m makeover

More than £2.6 million of lottery and council funding has today been awarded to Dudley's medieval Priory Park to help fund improvements to put it on the tourist trail.

The park, famed for its ruins, lies at one of the gateways to the town and enthusiasts say they are delighted to receive the windfall.

Friends of the Priory Park and Green, in partnership with Dudley Council, applied for just under £1.8m of funding from Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) under the Parks for People programme.

The remaining £800,000 will come from Dudley Council and other contributors. Improvements include a redevelopment of the pavilion, which will provide public toilets, act as a base for a park ranger and provide educational and community facilities.

Cabinet member for environment and culture,Councillor David Stanley, said: "I'm delighted that we can make improvements to one of Dudley's most unique parks.

"The priory ruins are ancient monuments of extreme historical importance and this investment will enable us to show them off in the best possible way." Plans also include installation of lighting at the ruins and a range of other works such as repairs to path surfaces, new signage, artwork and sculptures, improvements to drainage and resurfacing of the football pitch and bowling green.

Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for the West Midlands, Anne Jenkins, said: "It's important everyone in our towns and cities has somewhere free, green and open to enjoy in their leisure time.

"This joint investment from HLF and BIG is helping to do exactly that by ensuring parks such as our much-loved Priory Park continue to be looked after and have a major role to play in their communities."