CALSTOCK Parish Archive has received a cash boost from the National Lottery towards a new home.

The Calstock Parish Archive and Meeting Room project has received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The project aims to revitalise an old and unused chapel and transform it into a modern archive and meeting room.

This will enable the volunteers to respond to the many requests for information about the parish which are received from across the world as people explore their ancestry and trace their roots back to the diaspora of miners who left the Tamar Valley in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the project has been awarded a £25,900 development grant to enable plans to be progressed and an application for a full grant of £317,900 to be made at a later date.

The Albaston Chapel, which is known by locals as the ‘Cemetery Chapel’, was originally built as a mortuary chapel for the adjacent cemetery. It was built in 1887 and is one of the few local examples of unchanged late Victorian architecture.

The project will reflect and retain all the existing architectural features and especially the roof and windows. There will be disabled access to the building and a toilet and kitchen facilities will also be provided.

More space will be provided to house additional volunteers and provide them with suitable training.

The project will allow the archive collection to be moved into a purpose-built and safe storage facility. There will be space for permanent visual displays to celebrate anniversaries of specific events so that locals and visitors can learn about the heritage of the parish.

For the first time, internet access will be available to the public allowing them to explore the already digitised heritage records from anywhere across the world.

The public space will be available for hire by local groups when not in use by the archive.

The project is hoped to greatly improve the accessibility of the parish archive and transform an aesthetically pleasing, redundant building into a vibrant and bustling community resource.

Local schools and individuals will be able to use the collected heritage of their parish to assist their studies and enjoyment of the area.

On behalf of the small team of trustees and volunteers who helped to develop the grant application, Vic Harman said: ‘Since its inception in 1985 the archive has been run entirely by volunteers.

‘The collection of documents covers the period of the early medieval Calstock manor to the present day – tomorrow’s history!

‘ It has grown rapidly and its present quarters are now a severe constraint on meeting the needs of researchers.

‘The Cemetery Chapel will provide much needed accommodation for the archive collection, its volunteers and the public to engage with and enjoy their heritage and make it available to future generations.

‘We look forward to having space to welcome groups of all ages, particularly schools. Come and join us!’

Nerys Watts, head of HLF South West, said: ‘Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, we’re pleased to support these plans which will not only provide a safe and sustainable home for the Calstock Parish Archive but also open up stories, shared histories and links to ancestors for people of all ages.

‘We look forward to seeing the plans develop.’