Teesside Museum awarded £3.7million in Heritage Lottery Funding

A well-known museum on Teesside is currently rejoicing in the news that it has been awarded a fantastic £3.7million grant from funding provided by the national lottery.

Preston Hall Museum in the town of Stockton will utilise the funding awarded by the HLF (Heritage Lottery Fund) to pay for part of a £6million renovation scheme.

The grade II listed building which is located within 100 acres of picturesque parkland attracts around 72,000 visitors to the area annually.

The historic hall was constructed back in 1825 and was presented as Stockton's first ever civic museum in 1953.

The museum currently displays Stockton's most celebrated painting by George De La Tour - The Dice Players.

The lottery funding will enable the museum to publicly display more of its existing 65,000 relics and items of historical interest.

The regional manager for HLF North East said of the award:-

"We are delighted that HLF has confirmed its support for Preston Hall and that the dream to provide significant changes and improvements for the museum will now become a reality.

Not only is it a much-loved museum in Stockton, but it is a significant heritage landmark in the North East, and the home for collections of national importance.

This well deserved support will ensure that the building and its collections can be enjoyed by everyone as they learn about their past for many years to come."