Norton Priory monastic site Visions project funded

The site includes a 14th century statue of Saint Christopher

An excavated monastic site in Runcorn is to gain £100,000 in funding to help bring its history to life by using projections.

Norton Priory Museum is using the grant for its Visions project.

"Vivid medieval colours" will be projected on some of the site's 13th Century walls and on the twice life-sized statue of St Christopher.

Facial reconstructions of some of the people buried at the site will also be seen in public for the first time.

A museum spokesman said the projection technology would be similar to that used on Buckingham Palace during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

'Untapped sources'

New short films will be used to help explain the history of the site.

Lynn Smith, senior keeper at Norton Priory, said the project would use "previously untapped documentary sources."

She said: "Characters from Norton's past will be able to tell their individual stories in new, exciting three dimensional and colourful ways thanks to this 21st Century technology".

The funding has come from Arts Council England's Renaissance Strategic Support Fund.