THE setting up of a Bishop's Castle Heritage Resource Centre is well on its way thanks to a major grant award from the National Lottery.

Volunteers have secured a £204,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for local groups led by the House on Crutches Museum. The cash will be underpinned by a grant of £25,000 from Shropshire County Council.

The grants means that the former Bishop's Castle town library, built more than 200 years ago as an independent chapel, will continue to serve the community.

Access

It will house a controlled climate store for local heritage items and will give workshop space for volunteers to conserve and catalogue the objects, many donated by local people.

There will be improved access to the collections belonging to the House on Crutches Museum, the Railway Society, south west Shropshire Historical and Archaeological Society.

Computerisation of the records will make a wealth of information readily accessible. Researchers and school parties will be able to visit by arrangement.

A web site is being set up to allow online access and a development officer will arrange events and exhibitions around the district. Volunteers are being sought to help with the project. For more details, call Evelyn Bowles on 01588 638851 or Sally Chappell on 01588 630007.