Cheadle wins grant to celebrate Pugin bicentenary
- Published
St Giles' Church in Cheadle has been christened "Pugin's Gem"
A town in north Staffordshire has been given a £150,000 grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund to celebrate the bicentenary of Augustus Pugin's birth.
Cheadle will host a 12 month programme of events to honour the 19th Century architect, best known for designing the Houses of Parliament.
North Staffordshire features no less than 14 buildings still standing by the eminent English architect.
Pugin's local legacy includes St Giles' Church in Cheadle, Alton Castle, Cotton Hall and St Mary's in Brewood.
Anne Jenkins, from the Heritage Lottery Fund in the West Midlands, said: "These landmark buildings will provide the focus for this exciting project scheduled for 2012.
"It will see lots of ways for people to get involved in marking Pugin's bicentenary and special legacy in North Staffordshire.
"By working with a diverse range of partners, from heritage groups to schools, youth groups to the tourist information office, civic societies to local universities, there will be something for everyone."