A MULTI-million pound project to turn Hartlebury Castle into a major visitor attraction has got underway.

Work including the building of a new car park, which will provide an extra 44 spaces, and landscaping in the gardens has now begun.

The project is being led by Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust who successfully applied for a £5million grant through the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The grant has made it possible for the trust to purchase the site and conserve and preserve the historic castle and its valuable assets.

A further £2million will also be spent on the project.

Worcestershire County councillor Lucy Hodgson, Chair of the Joint Museums Committee, visited Hartlebury Castle to meet the new project staff team working to turn the site into a major visitor attraction.

This team includes Mark Davies, Director; Penelope Thomas, Activities Officer and Jacqueline Smith, Volunteer Co-ordinator.

Alongside managing the development work for the site, the team will arrange events and community projects, including an Oral History project beginning later this month.

Councillor Hodgson said: "It's fantastic news that work has started on the Castle and it was lovely to meet the new staff.

“Working together with HLF it will be great to see the Castle restored and brought back to life."

Robert Greenwood, Trustee of the Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust, said: "After 6 years working with HLF, it's wonderful to see work starting on site.

“It's a new chapter for the Trust, especially having staff full time on site, dedicated to the project, our volunteers and all the activities that will follow from there.

“Thanks too to the players of the National Lottery, who enable HLF to support projects such as ours."