Three Pembrokeshire projects will be shedding the January blues after the announcement that they are among 16 across Wales which will receive a share of £3.5 million of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

St. James and St. Elidyr Church, Stackpole, tops the trio with an award of £113,200 for repairs to the Grade 1 listed building as well as supporting activities.

Another local church, St. Mary’s, Carew, will also receive £88,700 for external repairs and development of interpretation boards.

Meanwhile, a little further north, a development grant of £100,800 will go to Picton Castle Walled Garden Project (The Picton Castle Trust) to restore and repair structures within the grounds of ther castle (pictured below) to provide activity, education and training spaces, with potential of total award of £746,200.

Richard Bellamy, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Wales, believes the support for such projects reflects the importance of the fund’s work.

“From museums to seaside towns to much-loved places of worship, they are all an important part of Welsh society ” he said. “This investment of National Lottery money in key transformational projects can play a crucial role in supporting and developing the Welsh economy. Similarly our continued support for smaller, locally grown projects enables people to contribute their stories and make our communities even stronger.

“What these projects highlight is the breadth of our work and I very much look forward to seeing them develop,” he added. “In supporting people to acquire new skills and revitalising towns and villages we see how heritage can be used to transform communities.”