A Victorian fort will be among the projects to receive a share of almost £3 million to promote heritage and encourage visitors to one part of Kent.

The Whose Hoo conservation scheme on the Hoo Peninsula has been awarded £2.9 million which will be used to renovate Slough Fort in Allhallows, along with enabling a host of events and activities.

The project is led by Medway Council and intends to help people discover the unique history and habitats of the area, including through funding school trips and audio-recorded walks.

Slough Fort, a Grade II* listed fort built in 1867 and in use until 1920, will have its main barrack building restored and improved to have displays and visitor facilities to tell its story.

Additionally, a dipping platform on the Medway Canal, which was opened in 1824, will be used for school trips, heritage events, and conservation work.

Other works include planting disease-resistant elm trees and hedgerows to increase biodiversity, walking routes with audio-recordings, and an annual heritage festival.

The Whose Hoo project is one of 15 schemes across the country receiving funding from the National Lottery, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

In total, £30 million is being allocated around the UK.

The £2.9m will be used for 15 projects and will be utilised by a range of partners including Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Slough Fort Preservation Trust, Medway Swale Estuary Partnership (MSEP), wHoo Cares, and the North West Kent Countryside Partnership (NWKCP).

The goal is to support local communities to connect and understand their unique area, so many of the projects will involve education, telling stories from the history of the Hoo Peninsula.

This will involve inviting volunteers to study artefacts and improve surroundings, as well as engaging with heritage events.

Initially, Whose Hoo received £260,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2023 for a programme of heritage schemes and events.

This spring it applied for the full grant for the programme which will run until 2029.

Cllr Simon Curry (Lab), Medway Council’s portfolio holder for climate change and strategic regeneration, said: “This new funding is great news for everyone involved in the Whose Hoo project, which is doing brilliant work to protect natural habitats and improve biodiversity in the area, while celebrating Hoo’s rich heritage.

“I’d like to thank those behind the National Lottery Heritage Fund and all the lottery players who have made this possible, as well as all those who have worked to make the Whose Hoo project a worthy recipient of this new funding.”

To find out more about the Whose Hoo project, click here.

The council says while many of the projects involved are clearly around historical and environmental conservation, there is also a focus on community activities and learning which, in turn, benefits economic development in the area.