Photos and interviews available - please call Henry Warrington on 020 7419 7329 / 0771 880 8889

Saturday 7^th March 2009

Lydford ancient spring reopens following a £10,000 restoration 

An ancient Saxon spring in Lydford, Devon, is reopened to the public today following a £10,000 restoration.

The transformation was funded by the ING Direct Sanctuary Awards, which delivers grants to regenerate open spaces important to local communities.

David Evans, a resident of Lydford, successfully nominated the dilapidated Saxon well in the centre of the village last year for one of the four top prize funds of £10,000.

The grant has been used to restore ancient spring its former glory, which is vital to Lydford’s history and beauty. Professional stone masons have worked tirelessly to re-establish the appearance of the well, originally built over 1,000 years ago. 

The spring is officially reopened today by members of the Lydford Parish Council and the Worshipful Mayor of West Devon

Lydford resident David Evans said: “The new spring is fantastic and looks just like it would have done all those years ago. It’s not only popular historical site for residents of the area, but we believe it will prove of great interest to tourist too. ”

Martin Rutland of ING Direct, who judged the finals of the Sanctuary Awards and granted Lydford spring with the prize, commented on the opening:

“We are honoured to officially unveil the freshly restored Saxon spring in Lydford Village. It’s vital that the local community feels good about its open spaces and this well deserved regeneration has done just that.”

ENDS

For further press information please contact:

Henry Warrington

Band & Brown Communications

Tel: 020 7419 7329 or Email: henry@bbpr.com

Notes to editors

The ING Direct Sanctuary Awards gave members of the public the opportunity to nominate an open space in their community to receive a £10,000 donation towards regenerating a local open space into a place of relaxation for local people. 

These awards were run in four regions around the country - Yorkshire, Surrey, Essex, and Devon.

ING Direct.