Background

Durlston is a superb site of national and international importance. The spectacular coastal landscapes support an incredible diversity of wildlife, while the area's outstanding geology makes it one of the most important locations on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Durlston is also a major access point and natural eastern ‘gateway' to the World Heritage Site.
    
The area has an important artistic and cultural heritage with the Victorian legacy of George Burt particularly significant. Many writers and artists, such as Thomas Hardy, Paul Nash and Graham Sutherland, have also gained inspiration from Durlston's unique character. 

Millions of visitors have enjoyed Durlston since a Country Park was established here in 1975 and the 700+ Friends of Durlston demonstrate the high level of community involvement. The Park hosts around 500 school visits each year showing its strong commitment to education, while over 100 guided walks and events are provided annually for the general public.

The Durlston Project

Durlston Visitor Centre Drawing -  Long & Kentish, architects.

‘We will develop and manage Durlston as an inspirational, world-class visitor facility with the highest commitment to conservation, learning, community involvement, sustainability and customer satisfaction.' As part of the World Heritage Site's aim of achieving ‘an exemplary standard of education and interpretation', a strategic programme of key, coastal visitor centres has been carefully developed. The first of these centres will be at Durlston; a flagship project which will provide an invaluable model for the development of other centres along the Jurassic Coast.
The Durlston Project will build on the Park's existing strengths to deliver a step change in the operation of the site. Key to this objective is the development of Durlston Castle as the main visitor facility and natural focal point of the Park. There is also the opportunity to utilise the existing Park Centre as an exciting new Learning Centre for formal and informal education.

In addition, the Project will: improve access for a wide range of visitors, enhance enjoyment, awareness and understanding of the site, expand opportunities for volunteer and community involvement, provide an innovative programme of cultural events, and promote healthy and sustainable lifestyles. At the same time, great care will be taken to enhance the management and conservation of the area's internationally important natural and cultural heritage.

Project Progress - Autumn 2007

September Update:

The acquisition of the Durlston Castle lease in 2003 provided the impetus to create a truly world-class visitor facility and Eastern Gateway to the Jurassic Coast.  In 2006, following 3 years of careful development, the Project was assigned £3.27m, at Stage 1, by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This success, along with other major funding contributions from the South West of England Regional Development Agency and Dorset County Council, means that a large proportion of the £5.85m total project cost should be met.

The project is progressing well on a wide range of fronts including interpretation, education, catering, building design, business planning, heritage conservation and volunteer development. However, there is still nearly £1 million of ‘matched funding' to find before the major funding is confirmed and the Project Team, Friends of Durlston and the Jurassic Coast Trust are working hard to raise the required money.

We are now half way through the development phase of the Durlston Project, and making good progress in meeting the many requirements of the Heritage Lottery Fund's ‘Stage 2'. HLF officers and trustees visited the Park on 30^th August for an update meeting and gave their enthusiastic backing for what they consider to be an 'excellent project'. 

Detailed project plans are being developed in readiness for consultation later in the autumn, which will coincide with the submission of a planning application. The various elements of the project being worked up in more detail include: interpretation, catering, education, building design, sustainability, volunteer and staff development, business management and future operational planning.

The Rangers, Friends of Durlston and the Jurassic Coast Trust are working hard to raise the £1m needed to match fund the £3.2m Heritage Lottery grant. We have already secured major financial support for the new Exhibition Gallery, with significant funding for other elements of the project in the pipeline. Applications have also been made to appropriate charitable trusts, corporate sponsors and other potential sources of funding - so fingers crossed. 

While progress has been encouraging, there is still a lot of money to raise, and various local fundraising initiatives, from concerts and sponsored walks to tombolas and raffles, have been really successful.
Applications for the ‘Walk of Words' are very encouraging - please visit www.durston.co.uk for further details.

Looking a little wider, there has been a positive response from Natural England on the plans to establish a National Nature Reserve at Durlston. The Civic Trust has reconfirmed our Green Flag status and the ‘Burt landscape' has been designated as an Historic Garden by English Heritage. 

Hamish Murray
 

November Update:

Since the commencement of the HLF ‘Stage 2' development phase, in March 2007, the project has made significant progress on a number of fronts and is on schedule for submission in early March 2008. It is anticipated that, following a 4 month HLF assessment period, the implementation stage will begin in September 2008.

The building designs have been developed in detail by the architects and project team, and are being submitted for planning and listed building consent in November 2007.  As part of a programme of wide-ranging public consultation, displays outlining the Project design are on show at the Park Visitor Centre and Swanage Library until 19th November.

A wide range of other work is being undertaken and this ranges from kitchen design and retail development to a sustainability audit and transport impact assessment.

Interpretation is a key element of the project. David McCabe Design has been appointed as interpretation designers for the Project. Their work at the SS Great Britain won European Museum of the Year (the ‘Micheletti Prize') in 2007 and the Gulbenkian Prize ‘UK Museum of the Year' award in 2006 (Long and Kentish - Project architects - won the prize in 2007 - so we have something of a monopoly) The designers will be working closely with the Project team.

A detailed Education Plan is being developed, using the new Learning Centre to widen the scope and opportunities for education at Durlston.  A comprehensive Operations and Business Plan is also being developed in line with the requirements of the HLF stage 2 conditions.

On-going liaison with HLF has continued throughout the period. Formal quarterly reports have been submitted and a mid point meeting, with HLF officers and trustees, reported good progress to date with HLF giving their enthusiastic backing for what they consider to be an 'excellent project'.

The match funding strategy is being implemented, in particular through a partnership arrangement with the Jurassic Coast Trust. Funding successes to date include substantial financial support from the Fine Family Foundation and the Dorset Wildlife Trust. Applications are currently being considered by The Arts Council, SWRDA, Viridor Credits and Clore Duffield Foundation along with a number of other charitable trusts. A Corporate Sponsorship package will be launched soon and initial discussions have been held with BP. The project is still on track for the stage 2 submission to be submitted in March 2008.

The Durlston ‘Appeal' has been successful, with a wide range of fundraising initiatives led by Friends of Durlston. Applications for the Walk of Words have been encouraging and the sponsorship of specific items is also proving successful.

The Lookout re-launch on 22nd October highlighted the on-going development of the catering operation. Russell Brown of Sienna restaurant (Dorchester) has provided expert advice on menu improvements and other ways to enhance the offer.

On the wider park, the Burt landscape has been designated as a Registered Garden by English Heritage. National Nature Reserve status for the remote zone is being pursued with Natural England, with a provisional launch date of June 2008.
 
Hamish Murray
 

March Update:

After a huge effort by the Project Team and our partners, the Stage 2 bid for the Durlston Project was delivered (by hand) to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) offices in Exeter on 14^th March. Hopefully, this application will secure the £3.1m already earmarked for the project in December 2006.

A decision on the Durlston Project will be made by the HLF Board of Trustees within the next 6 months. Recent meetings with HLF Officers have highlighted the good progress made during the development stage, and we are cautiously optimistic of a successful outcome to the bid.

As part of the application, the building designs have been developed in detail by the architects (Long Kentish) and project team. Planning permission was granted in early February and listed building consent should be achieved in March. A wide range of other work has been completed, ranging from catering and retail development to a full sustainability audit and transport impact assessment.

A comprehensive Operational Plan includes details of future resource requirements and potential income generation, and will provide a sound framework for Durlston's future management and viability. 

David McCabe Design and Carol Parr have developed the detailed interpretation designs, while a comprehensive Education Plan focuses on the huge potential of the new Learning Centre. Plans for the new Observatory are progressing with the Wessex Astronomical Society.

The match funding strategy is being successfully implemented in partnership with the Jurassic Coast Trust. Notable funding successes include significant support from the Fine Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Viridor Credits, Dorset wildlife Trust and Dorset County Council.

Recent discussions with BP have proved very positive. There is potential for a significant future partnership which will focus on enhancing educational facilities and services at Durlston and elsewhere along the Jurassic Coast WHS. The first stage of the wider, Corporate Sponsorship package was successfully launched and several firms have already ‘signed up'. 

The Durlston ‘Appeal' is raising considerable amounts of money from a wide range of fundraising activities led by Friends of Durlston. Applications for the Walk of Words have been particularly encouraging. Hamish Murray will be running in the London Marathon on 13^th April to raise money for the Appeal. Sponsorship forms are available at the Centre or visit www.durlston.co.uk

Overall the original match - funding total of £2,482,000 has been reduced to around £590,000 with several bids still ‘in the pipeline'. However a significant funding gap remains and this must be filled before any additional HLF grants can be secured.

The establishment of a National Nature Reserve at Durlston is progressing well and detailed discussions are being held with Natural England. This will have particular significance as NE's first NNR. A provisional launch date in June 2008 is planned to coincide with Friends of Durlston's 20^th birthday celebrations.

Hamish Murray