FAMOUS faces discover some of the country’s treasured heritage in a new series of short films from Historic England.

Called “Uncover More”, the films are designed to spark curiosity as places get ready to re-open to the public once restrictions lift.

And they bring to life some of the fascinating historic places that have been helped by the Culture Recovery Fund during the pandemic. The fund has enabled essential repairs to take place, as well as safe-guarding jobs and craft skills.

At the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, the loss of income during the pandemic threatened livelihoods and the maintenance of this important place in the county’s history. A Culture Recovery Fund grant of £606,400 helped secure around 80 local jobs and ensured the site can continue to inspire people with one of the finest gardens in the UK.

In the Historic England film, we see Monty Halls, host of BBC2’s The Great Escape, and his young family have an ‘absolutely magical experience’ at The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

A real-life ‘secret garden’, it disappeared from view after the WW1 and was lost to the world for almost 70 years.

Then a small section of wall - containing the signatures of Heligan’s WW1 gardeners - was discovered in 1990. This lead to the hard-work, dedication and skill that has created a much-loved tourist attraction in St Austell, Cornwall.

Monty said: “The first time you arrive at Heligan, there’s a huge sense of anticipation, and then you walk in and step back in time.

“We came to Heligan expecting a good day out and what we got was an absolutely magical experience.”

At The Lost Gardens of Heligan, unlimited entry for a year is being offered to people living in Devon and Cornwall for the cost of one entry ticket. Locals passes must be registered by the end of March on the LOst Gardens of Heligan website.

Other films in the Historic England series feature Strictly Come Dancing’s Oti Mabuse and her partner Marius lepure, who are transported back in time as they dance at two of England’s oldest ballrooms at Hampton Court Palace, London, and Powderham Castle, in Devon. View film at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNopS_7DEIY" TARGET="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNopS_7DEIY

And BBC Radio 2’s Good Morning Sunday presenter Reverend Kate Bottley visits the ‘Narnia of bells’ at the Loughborough Bellfoundry, where local business John Taylor & Co has been making bells since 1859. View film at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CmXKiGSDtg" TARGET="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CmXKiGSDtg

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said: “We hope that seeing these familiar faces discover the delights of some of the nation’s incredible heritage will engage and excite people, motivating them to find out more for themselves.

“The last year has been an extremely challenging time and the joy of discovering the heritage on our doorsteps provides an emotional anchor for many of us, as access restrictions open up.

“All the amazing places featured in the films – and many more heritage organisations and historic buildings - have been helped through the pandemic by life-line grants from the Culture Recovery Fund. These have paid for essential repairs and helped protect jobs and crucial craft skills. This support means that they will once again be able to offer fun, exciting and unique experiences to visitors when it is safe to do so.”