A RECORD £1.6 million grant - the largest ever offered to a community group by the Heritage Lottery Fund - has been awarded to Morts Astley Heritage Group.

But the award - which will be used for the restoration of Dam house, formerly Astley Hall, Astley - was soured by the theft of a 400-year-old door and fireplace from the building yesterday.

The money from the Lottery Fund will now help realise a project which has been a four year vision of members of the Morts Astley Heritage Group to preserve and revitalise the historic 17th Century manor house.

Other recipients announced today include the Bury Conservation Area Partnership Scheme's plans to restore Castle Square, and the increase in accessibility of the Bury Borough libraries' Local History Digital Photograph Archive.

Dam House is a Jacobean house is set in 17 acres of woodland in a conservation area, and is a site of biological importance, dating back to the 11th Century.

Astley Hall was built by Adam Morts in 1650 and has since been extended and remodelled, although many original features remain, including the original wattle and daub walling, timber framing and leaded windows which will be restored.

It was most recently used as the administration block of Astley Hospital, which closed in 1994.

The Heritage Group's plans aim to provide a clinic, health centre, GP's surgery, nursery, pharmacy, tea rooms, chapel, community rooms, offices and an educational and historical area.

The £1.6 million will go towards the £2.3 million project, which has also received funding from Europe via the Rechar Fund and from Wigan Council.

Fundraising is still needed and a campaign is to be launched in the next few weeks.

Members of the public are invited to a meeting tonight , 7.30pm, at St Stephen's School, Astley, at which the plans for Dam House will be discussed.

The announcement of the grant comes on the same day that Dam House is among 40 historic buildings listed by English Heritage as being on an 'At Risk' Register.

The list contains details of Grade l and Grade ll buildings and scheduled ancient monuments known to be 'at risk' through decay or neglect.

Of the 1,500 entries on the Register, 198 are in the North West. Apart from Dam House, other local entries include the summer house at Turton Tower; Random Cottage on Greenmount Lane, Heaton, Bolton; Walsh Fold off Bolton Road, Bradshaw; Lower Chesham Hall in Bury and Dearden Fold Farmhouse on Bury Old Road, Bury.

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