Ledbury Master's House secures initial restoration bid
One of the oldest buildings in Ledbury has secured initial support for a funding bid to restore part of it.
Building work in the Victorian wing of the Master's House started last year.
Herefordshire Council will spend at least £2m on the project to turn the building into a library, wedding venue and council services centre.
It has also submitted a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to restore medieval parts of the building and has passed the first phase needed.
The project to restore parts of the Grade II-listed building has been awarded a development grant of £39,300 from HLF to help Herefordshire Council progress its plans to apply for a full grant of £995,700 next year.
The aim is to carry out a full restoration of the building to preserve it for future generations.
A council spokeswoman said once completed, the medieval core of the building should be visible to the public for the first time in hundreds of years.
The renovation of the Victorian wing of the building is expected to be completed in April.
Roger Phillips, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for enterprise and culture, said: "We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this support.
"This project offers us the opportunity to preserve the Master's House for people to visit and also ensure it is sustainable into the future by becoming a hub for statutory and voluntary services."