Millom home of poet Norman Nicholson to undergo repairs

The funding, awarded by South Copeland GDF Community Partnership, will help the project start long-awaited repairs on the home of the 20th-century poet Norman Nicholson.

The grant is part of the Partnership's Community Investment Funding, which aims to support sustainable projects that leave a lasting legacy in the community.

The money will be used for essential repairs to the building's exterior.

Work will be done to repair the exterior of the home (Image: Supplied)

Chair of the Nicholson House project, Charlie Lambert, said: "This is wonderful news and means we can really get started on the work that we want to do to make Norman's old home a place that not only celebrates his writing but also makes a real contribution to Millom.

"We want to see this place buzzing with all sorts of activities being based here so that the town can be proud of it."

Mr Nicholson, who died in 1987, spent his whole life in the Victorian terraced house on St George's Terrace.

From this home, he produced poetry, plays and prose books that earned him an international reputation, an OBE, and the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry.

He was admired by literary figures including T.S. Eliot, Ted Hughes, and Seamus Heaney.

The Norman Nicholson House project was launched in 2016 by the Norman Nicholson Society.

The home of Norman Nicholson (Image: Supplied)

In 2020, the Society established a community interest company to advance the project.

This year, in February, the company successfully purchased the house, paving the way for the successful application to the Community Partnership.

Mr Lambert said: "South Copeland GDF Community Partnership's support is a massive boost.

"They understand what we want to do and they want to do something constructive to make it happen."

The exterior repairs are the first phase of the overall plan.

The project will now seek additional funding for an interior refurbishment, which will include a coffee shop, event space, accommodation for tourists and a writer in residence, and an immersive display celebrating Norman Nicholson and his work.