HIDDEN secrets at a Hampshire park are a step closer to being revealed thanks to a £102,000 grant.
Heritage Lottery Fund provided the cash boost for Royal Victoria Country Park in Netley Abbey, Southampton.
The funding means the county council can team up with local organisations to restore the iconic chapel, pictured, and uncover stories from the former military hospital once based there.
Councillor Keith Chapman, executive member for culture, recreation and countryside, said: “We are hugely grateful for this funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This project forms a significant part of the Transforming our Country Parks programme which aims to transform them to meet the needs of a new generation of visitors and ensure their long-term sustainable future.
“The chapel project at Royal Victoria Country Park will encourage new visitors to come and experience the park and learn about the role that the military hospital played in the First World War and other conflicts. There will also be greater opportunities for volunteers, schools and community involvement in the park as a result of the project.”
Development is expected to last a year. The park was home to the Royal Victoria Hospital from 1863 to 1966, when the army demolished everything but the chapel.
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