Nearly £3m for Birmingham's Roundhouse

THE Heritage Lottery fund has granted £2.9m to restore Birmingham's Grade II Roundhouse owned by Canal & River Trust.

We are told the project marks a new partnership between Canal & River Trust and the National Trust and 'will transform the Roundhouse into a city base from which to explore Birmingham's revitalised canals on foot or by bike'.

Stables

Situated next to the newly re-opened Fiddle & Bone Pub, the Roundhouse is owned by the Canal & River Trust. Built in 1874 by the Birmingham Corporation it was originally used as stables and stores.

For the last 10 years the majority of the building has been disused and has been steadily falling into disrepair. This new collaboration between two major heritage organisations, plus this 'vital investment from HLF, will put an important and underutilised building back at the heart of the city's canal network and give it a new lease of life'.

Cycle hire

Plans for the Roundhouse include a cycle hire and repair workshop, volunteering opportunities and a shared working space for conservation organisations. HLF has awarded an initial £225,000 development grant which will be used to work up these plans into a larger £2.9 million scheme that will see the full restoration of this unusual building.

Stuart Mills, from the Canal & River Trust, stated:

"The Roundhouse is a truly iconic building and part of the history of Birmingham. We're really delighted to be working in partnership with the National Trust to bring it back to life, transforming it into somewhere for local communities and visitors to connect with the waterways and the broader history of Birmingham."