Cornwall's historic monuments receive grant of almost £500k

One of Cornwall's scheduled monuments is St Piran's Oratory in Perranporth Credit: Cornwall AONB

The Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) has received a grant of almost £500,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The £489,700 investment - which is part of The Monumental Improvement Project - will go towards ensuring that archaeological sites with 'national importance' are protected for future generations.

There are currently 40 scheduled monuments which are protected by the AONB, including Castle Dore Hill Fort, which has links to writer Daphne du Maurier and composer Richard Wagner, and St Piran's Oratory in Perranporth, which is currently on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register due to its risk of flooding and erosion.

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Stuart McLeod, the Heritage Fund Director of England, London and South said: "These monuments offer a unique narrative into Cornwall’s heritage and therefore it’s vital that these are preserved and their stories discovered."

Cornwall AONB and the Heritage Fund has worked alongside Cornwall Council, Historic England and the National Trust during the project.

As well as protecting heritage, the project also aims to engage Cornwall's communities with the areas and improve health and wellbeing by introducing activities such as volunteer scrub clearing and guided walks.