There's no such thing as a summer lull at the Heritage Lottery Fund, which last week awarded just over £11m to three projects, while one of its previously-funded sites opened on 9 August after receiving a final £950k. Here’s a round-up of what took place last week:

Walthamstow Reservoirs London Wetlands project has been awarded £4.4m grant. A report in 2013 found that 57 per cent of freshwater and wetland species have declined over the last 50 years - as a result - this project in northeast London, aims to open up ten of Walthamstow’s reservoirs, transforming them into urban wetlands and a nature reserve. The size of the project means it will be one of London’s biggest outdoor public spaces – there will also be a visitor centre, cafe and exhibition space in a repurposed pumping station.



Norton Priory Museum and Gardens, Cheshire, was also granted £3.7m for their ongoing project, Monastery to Museum. As one of the best excavated monastic sites in Europe, the project aims to preserve the 12th century undercroft, exhibit the museums collections and help tell the story of it’s 900 years of history. Architectural plans have been proposed demonstrating increased exhibition space and more visitor amenities.



Thirdly, Pontefract Castle, Yorkshire, will receive a confirmed grant of £3m for its ’Keys to the North’ project. This funding will allow parts of the castle that haven’t been seen since 1649 to go on display to the public and eventually see it removed from the English Heritage ‘At Risk’ register. Pontefract Castle has played a significant role in England’s history as the site of bloody murders and an active Civil War stronghold in the 1600’s.



Finally, after a £2.6m restoration programme, Sewerby Hall, Yorkshire will be open to the public on Saturday 9 August. The HLF provided £950,000 towards the restoration of the early Georgian country house, where visitors can now experience a step back in time to the Edwardian era and a range of exhibitions.