SETTLE Folly has received £160,000 from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund to help it face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

The North Craven Building Preservation Trust - which owns The Folly along with the Zion Chapel -was one of 1,385 cultural and creative organisations across the country, including Skipton Town Hall, to receive a chunk of funding from the £1.57 billion fund being administered by Arts Council England.

Just last month, the trust was also awarded a £204,600 Heritage Emergency Fund grant by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help pay for repairs to the roof of the listed Folly.

The trust says the money will have a major impact on the future of the Museum of North Craven Life, helping it to continue to produce high quality exhibitions which interpret local life for visitors and locals alike.

It will also allow it to expand its pool of volunteers by recruiting a volunteer coordinator. The funding will also be used to help survey and conserve the Zion Chapel, which is at risk of further deterioration without intervention.

Heather Lane, chairperson of the of the North Craven Building Preservation Trust trustees, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this grant from the Culture Recovery Fund.

“It will go some way to help restore lost revenue and get back on an even keel for 2021: we have spent almost all of our reserves supporting our staff and buildings during months of closure.

“This grant relieves many of our worries about our current position and puts us on a much more secure footing. Instead of facing uncertainty, we can now start making plans for the future of the organisation..”

Caitlin Greenwood, the trust’s heritage development officer said:“I’m especially excited for the Zion Chapel works, as we will soon be starting a community consultation on the future of this iconic Settle building.

“We are keen that it can be preserved as a cultural and community hub for the North Craven inhabitants of the future.”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:“This funding is a vital boost for the theatres, music venues, museums and cultural organisations that form the soul of our nation. It will protect these special places, save jobs and help the culture sector’s recovery.

“These places and projects are cultural beacons the length and breadth of the country. This unprecedented investment in the arts is proof this government is here for culture, with further support to come in the days and weeks ahead so that the culture sector can bounce back strongly.”

The Folly, built in 1679, is the Yorkshire Dales’ only Grade I listed historic house regularly open to the public. It is home to the Museum of North Craven Life, which tells fascinating tales of the people and landscape of the local area.