A PROMINENT Georgian garden is due to be restored to its former glory thanks to a five-figure grant.

The Friends of the Brewery Arts Centre are celebrating after being awarded £30,000 from the Local Heritage Initiative, a scheme run by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the Heritage Lottery Fund and Nationwide Building Society.

The garden area and stairway to the terrace, to the left of the Brewery cinema, has been closed off to the public for many years for health and safety reasons, but the cash will help recreate the valuable horticultural area, which blossomed in the 1840s.

Chairman of the Friends Dick Brown said the 700-strong Friends group would provide further cash as the project progressed and he praised the efforts of Friends member Shiena Jamieson, who had sourced all the plants to be as near as possible to the original garden when it first flourished.

In addition, Kendal Civic Society has donated £2,000 to the scheme.

All material gathered over the project will be compiled and archived as a valuable resource for education.

See Leisure - Homes and Gardens for the full story and more.