The Lion Salt Works Museum has become the only site in the North West shortlisted for the coveted Best Heritage Project in the National Lottery Awards – but it needs your help to go all the way.
The Northwich attraction has already beaten off stiff competition from more than 600 organisations but it will now go head to head with six others in a public vote to be crowned one of the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects during a star-studded ceremony televised on BBC One.
The salt works – which tell the story of salt and its importance regionally and globally through interactive displays and innovative light and sound shows – has undergone a meticulous four-year, £10m restoration by Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC), which acquired the site in 2009.
The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded the project a grant of £5.29m under its Heritage Grants scheme, making the Lion Salt Works one of the largest heritage schemes undertaken with their support in the region.
Cllr Louise Gittins, cabinet member for communities and wellbeing at CWaC, said: “Cheshire, and in particular its ‘salt towns’, are defined by salt and so this museum is very close to our hearts.
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“We are enormously proud that the Lion Salt Works Museum is representing Cheshire and the North West in this hotly contended national award.
“Some of our trustees have campaigned for over 30 years to save this site for posterity and I really hope that everyone will take the time to vote for us.
“It would be a wonderful reward to all those people – staff, volunteers, partners and trustees – who have worked so hard to create this wonderful museum.”
The museum is one of the world’s last open-pan salt-making sites.
Its significance as an industrial site was recognised when it was listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument – the highest level of protection a monument can receive by law – in 2002.
Having opened to visitors as an attraction on June 5, 2015, it won six national awards in its first year alone.
To vote, click here or call 0844 836 9674. Voting will end at midnight on July 20.
