Silverstone Interactive Museum gets £710,000 recovery grant

The Silverstone Interactive Museum contains exhibits on Formula 1 and motorcycling racing

The motor racing museum at Silverstone Circuit has received £710,000 in emergency government culture funding.

Prince Harry and Lewis Hamilton took part in official opening ceremony at Silverstone Interactive Museum in March 2020, days before the first lockdown.

The museum had already received £572,000 last year from the Culture Recovery Fund.

Chief executive Sally Reynolds said the money would help "pay running costs and salaries over the winter period".

The museum, a former World War Two hangar, opened in October 2019.

The museum said since it reopened in May it had seen about half the number of visitors it normally would

Displays include items such as Nigel Mansell's British Grand Prix-winning Williams from 1992 and Barry Sheene's 1979 Suzuki motorbike.

Exhibitions also look at Silverstone's involvement in World War Two and the site's history back to medieval times.

Ms Reynolds said: "The team and I were absolutely delighted, especially how things have taken a turn for the worse."

She said the museum was hoping for an "OK Christmas" but had seen visitor numbers "dwindle" over the last few days.

Delapre Abbey was restored at a cost of almost £8m

The 12th Century Delapre Abbey in Northampton will also get £150,300, which it will use to continue to fund the restoration of the 19th Century stables.

Richard Clinton, chief executive of Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust, said the attraction "supports the community whilst promoting improved wellbeing and access to green spaces".

The abbey had previously received almost £250,00 across three grants from the Culture Recovery Fund.