£3.9m injection for industrial heritage site
THE National Trust and industrial heritage site Quarry Bank in Cheshire have appointed design consultancy Mather & Co to take on a new project to reinterpret the picturesque estate as part of a scheme funded with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Having won the competitive tender last month, the project will be supported with £3.9m million funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Work is due to begin soon over a number of phases but it is estimated that the overall scheme will not be completed until 2019.
The main focus of the project is to bring the whole story of Quarry Bank back to life, sharing more of thespecial community which includes the mill, a farm, a village and the homes and workplaces of the owner, mill manager, workers and apprentices. Few other sites of comparable significance are as complete or as untouched.
Mather is aiming revolutionise the visitor experience, enabling visitors to follow and engage with new stories around the site and play on the contrasts found between this rich industrial architecture nestled within the natural landscape.
Mather managing director Chris Mather said: “With a strong portfolio of diverse projects, Mather & Co. is well equipped to handle a project of scale, particularly describing the historical significance and story of the site, which is still integral to the area and community today.”
Quarry Bank project manager Amanda Lunt said: “Quarry Bank has always been at the heart of the community, and it was essential that we found a team that could capture the spirit of the site and truly portray the wonderful story behind it. Mather’s unique concept really resonated with us, and we’re confident that the end result will be fantastic.”
