Work on new Ham Hill visitor centre to begin in March
The project has been in the works since 2019
Work on a new visitor centre in Ham Hill can begin in March after the construction contract was awarded.
South Somerset District Council approved plans in November 2022 for a visitor centre, which will be built within walking distance of the Ham Hill war memorial and serve as a “gateway entrance feature” for tourists and locals alike.
Following this approval, the National Lottery heritage fund confirmed it would be providing £1.6m towards this project – an award which was subsequently increased to £2.15m in late-2024 following further negotiations.
Somerset Council (which inherited the project in April 2023) has now appointed Sidmouth-based firm Skinner Construction Ltd. to undertake the project, with building work due to get under way within a matter of weeks.
The 235 sq m (just over 2,500 sq ft) visitor centre will be built south of the Lime Kiln car park, and will include permanent and temporary exhibition spaces, education facilities and a café.
The visitor centre – which has been in the works since 2019 – will take a curved form inspired by the shape of a round house, reflecting the site’s Iron Age heritage.
Skinner Construction was the winning bid out of seven tenders submitted to the council, with construction due to begin in March and last until September (with an option to extend building work until Christmas should the need arise).
Chris Hall, the council’s executive director for community, place and economy, said: “Ham Hill Country Park is centred on Hamdon Hill, a large Iron Age hill fort and scheduled monument and the site of continuous occupation since the Iron Age.
“Since its initial development, the country park has expanded significantly through land purchases, supported by the heritage lottery fund.
“The existing ranger base and toilets are no longer central within the country park.
“Planning permission and scheduled monument consent have been achieved for the building and landscape proposals.
“In addition, highways approval has been secured to reduce the speed limit through the country park to 40mph and install new gateway features to clearly mark the entry onto Ham Hill.
“Built proposals for the site have taken into account the important archaeology, geology and habitats and will minimise disturbance while providing new opportunities for visitor engagement.”
Just over ÂŁ3m has been secured for the Ham Hill project, of which just over ÂŁ2.15m comes from the National Lottery though its heritage fund.
A further £453,000 comes from the council – with £449,000 being provided as part of its capital programme (which is funded through a mixture of external grants and borrowing) and £4,000 from the sale of one of its tractors.
The remainder comes from smaller grants, including just over ÂŁ74,000 from the Wolfson Foundation, ÂŁ11,000 from the Clarks Foundation and ÂŁ2,500 from Leonardo Helicopters
Construction of the visitor centre itself will cost around ÂŁ1.26m, with just over ÂŁ177,000 having been spent on preliminary design and landscaping, more than ÂŁ296,000 going on more detailed design work and project management, and nearly ÂŁ267,000 being allocated for related capital works (such as repairs to the car park, traffic calming measures and an activity hub).
Within the budget is also included funding to improve the existing footpaths across the country park (with ÂŁ51,000 being set aside) and new audio and visual interpretation for visitors, such as audio tours and information boards.
More than ÂŁ234,000 will be set aside for salaried countryside rangers to run the visitor centre and look after the 173-hectare park, with almost ÂŁ50,000 being provided on top to stage events and other activities within the site.