Cranleigh Heritage Trust has been awarded development phase support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund with a £58,000 grant to continue saving the first Cottage Hospital in England and the inspiration for the National Health Service.

This will support the detailed preparation to progress to a bid for full funding to restore the building and make it usable for the community in a multitude of ways.

Made possible by National Lottery players, the project aims to save the Grade II listed building and bring it into use as a Heritage and Community Hub.

The project aims to lease the cottage from NHS Property Services and carry out essential conservation work the building will become a community hub that will be available for all residents, focusing on education, heritage information and health and wellbeing projects.

Exciting information displays and resources will bring the history of the cottage to life for all, the first Cottage Hospital in England.

The cottage dates to 1446 and was last used by the NHS in 2010 and requires considerable renovation to allow public access and use.

Trevor Dale, Chairman of the Cranleigh Heritage Trust, said:

All the hard work of the volunteer team and support from local community bodies and individuals has come to fruition. We are delighted to have been awarded this grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and made possible thanks to National Lottery players.

We now have a year of seriously hard work to convince the Heritage Fund to support the project to completion.

Cranleigh residents and leaders have shown their enthusiasm and support for the outcomes possible, and when the building works commence, we can see this lovely building become a vibrant part of the High Street again.

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