Banksy artwork, derelict smuggler’s inn and Blackpool’s piers to benefit from Coastal Revival Fund

Banksy’s Pinwheel

Coastal heritage sites including a Banksy artwork in Weston-super-Mare, a derelict smugglers’ inn in Cornwall and Blackpool’s three piers will receive a share of almost £1m from the Coastal Revival Fund.

The Coastal Revival Fund provides grants to coastal heritage sites to fund repairs, restoration and bring economic growth to coastal communities.

It also supports large scale projects which are important to local communities but have not yet reached their full economic potential or are facing neglect.

North Somerset Council will receive £50,000 to refurbish and provide a permanent home for Banksy’s Pinwheel in Weston-super-Mare’s Italian Gardens in the town centre. The exhibit, which was donated by the graffiti artist following the globally successful ‘Dismaland’ exhibition in 2015, is set to provide a focal point to link the seafront and the town centre.

Another £50,000 has been awarded for a long-term project to fully rebuild the derelict Old Ship Inn, in Cornwall which was completely destroyed by fire in 2013. The Grade II pub which was once a key central point in the Cornish smuggling trade, and is said to have been visited by Admiral Lord Nelson, is one of the oldest buildings in Cawsand village and an iconic location at the heart of the community.

According to the council the project will create permanent local jobs, provide low-cost rented housing and create a major new community space.

Two sites that will receive funding are on Historic England’s ‘at-risk’ register. A total of £42,500 has been awarded to a restoration project for the exterior of the Georgian Grade I listed Lytham Hall, on the Fylde coast. It is hoped the project will create a ‘sustainable’ heritage attraction of regional significance which will give the economy of Lytham and the Fylde coast a major boost.

Coastal Communities Minister Jake Berry, said: ‘I’m proud to support these 23 magnificent projects from Ryde to Runcorn with investment from the government’s Coastal Revival Fund. Putting heritage at the heart of our coastal towns is an important way of attracting visitors and boosting our local economies.

‘We’re determined to save these historic landmarks for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations while delivering on our promise to invest over a quarter of a billion pounds into the Great British Coast by 2020.’

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: ‘Our seaside towns are rich with unique historic buildings and places, from the grand Lytham Hall to the Victorian public pleasure grounds of Saltburn-by-the-Sea.’

More information about the projects receiving funding can be viewed here.