The Watercress Line (Mid Hants Railway) has announced that it has been awarded a £600,000 thanks to the Culture Recovery Fund.

This grant from the Government is in addition to the £250,000 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant announced in September.

Part of this new grant will pay for staff costs through the winter period, it will also allow for various projects to help the railway cope with Coronavirus, including erecting extra screens, alterations to dining trains and more signs.

The grant is also covering the costs of developing the Steam Illuminations event, along with an up to date ticketing system.

A number of railways have announced grants, including the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Severn Valley Railway and the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “As a nation it is essential that we preserve our heritage and celebrate and learn from our past. This massive support package will protect our shared heritage for future generations, save jobs and help us prepare for a cultural bounce back post Covid.”

Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator, Historic Royal Palaces, said: “There’s no truer way to experience the past than to walk in the footsteps of those who have lived it – that’s why preserving our built heritage is so important.

“At Historic Royal Palaces, we care for six nationally significant buildings, opening them to the public and preserving them for future generations. Sadly, the pandemic meant that we had to stop some of our critical conservation work. The grant we have received from the Culture Recovery Fund will enable this work to resume – so we can give some of Britain’s most historic buildings the care and attention they deserve, while supporting the specialist craftspeople who are vital for the future of our national heritage.  We are enormously grateful to the Government for this support.”

Simon Baggott Watercress Line General Manager, said: “We are enormously grateful to have been awarded this grant, which really should secure the railway’s continued existence beyond the coming very difficult winter period for the benefit of the local area.  This news will be warmly appreciated by everyone who visits the railway, volunteers or works here.  Being able to fund the staff over the winter will allow us to maintain the key engineering skills essential to the business and the associated training of young employees.  We are looking forward to welcoming more visitors back to the Watercress Line over the coming weeks, to our Autumn Steam Gala, Steam Illuminations & Father Christmas at the Watercress Line.”

Duncan Wilson, Historic England’s Chief Executive said: “It is heartening to see grants, both large and small, from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund helping heritage sites and organisations across the country which have been hit hard by the effects of Covid-19. These grants range from giving skilled craft workers the chance to keep their trades alive to helping heritage organisations pay the bills, and to kick-starting repair works at our best-loved historic sites. The funding is an essential lifeline for our heritage and the people who work tirelessly to conserve it for us all, so that we can hand it on to future generations.”

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “It is absolutely right that investing in heritage should be a priority during this crisis and this support by the Government is crucial.  Heritage creates jobs and economic prosperity, is a major driver for tourism and makes our towns, cities, and rural areas better places to live.  All of this is so important for our wellbeing and will be particularly vital when we start to emerge from this incredibly difficult time.

“Our heritage is still facing a perilous future – we are not out of the woods yet.  But this hugely welcome funding from the Government, and the money we continue to invest from the National Lottery, has undoubtedly stopped heritage and the organisations that care for it being permanently lost.”

Kate Mavor, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: “This support for our nation’s heritage is fantastic news.  Over the last few months, our teams have been working hard to welcome visitors back safely to the great castles, stone circles, abbeys and historic houses in our care. This funding will help us invest to safeguard the historic fabric of these much-loved places, which everyone can learn from and enjoy.”

Richard Lacey, Chairman of Mid Hants Railway ‘Watercress Line’, said: “This is wonderful news for us.  It clearly shows that there is confidence in our ability to ride out the effects of the pandemic and it will secure the jobs of our paid staff.  We are extremely grateful to the government for the excellent support we have had through the last very worrying six months.  It’s very reassuring; we can now be sure we will be here in 2021 providing services that visitors want and contributing in full measure to the health of the local economy.”

Local MP for Winchester, Steve Brine, said: “Alresford is such a special place and we all value its vibrancy, and its independent shops. The Watercress Line is such an important part of that, so I hope this grant from the Culture Recovery Fund secures the future.  The Mid Hants Railway is also a unique employer locally, keeping alive many special skills and helping our future engineers find their way.”

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