Poet's home to be turned into attraction

Funding to help turn the former home of a poet into a visitor attraction has been secured.

Poet Norman Nicholson, who died in 1987, lived his whole life in Millom's St George’s Terrace, in Cumbria.

The Norman Nicholson Society has received £64,000 to start refurbishment of the property, as part of a plan to create a coffee shop, events space, tourist accommodation and a celebration of his work there.

Charlie Lambert, chairman of the Nicholson House project, said: "We want to see this place buzzing with all sorts of activities being based here, so that the town can be proud of it."

The group bought the property in February and has now received the grant from the South Copeland GDF Community Partnership, which will enable them to start repair work on the outside of the Victorian terraced house.

The community partnership is providing £1m funding a year to local groups during discussions around the potential siting of a GDF - geological disposal facility - in Copeland.

Norman Nicholson wrote poetry, plays and prose books from his Millom home, which earned him an international reputation, an OBE, and the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry.

He was admired by TS Eliot, Ted Hughes, Seamus Heaney and many other great names from the world of literature, said the Norman Nicholson Society.

The work on the exterior of the building is the first phase of the plan.

Further funding will be needed to start work inside the property to create an immersive display about the poet, a coffee shop, tourist accommodation and event space.

Mr Lambert said: "[The funding] is wonderful news and means we can really get started on the work that we want to do to make Norman’s old home a place that not only celebrates his writing but also makes a real contribution to Millom."

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