One of Weymouth's most popular tourist destinations is hoping to get more than £800,000 funding to restore a secret part of its history.
Nothe Fort has revealed that it has passed the first stage of a lottery bid application to get funding to restore its nuclear bunker into a new visitor experience
The Victorian era coastal defence is looking for funding in the region of £860,000 from the National Lottery's Heritage Fund and has now been invited to submit a full application.
READ: Weymouth's Nothe Fort Cold War hidden secrets
It is now in the process of putting together its application ready for submission in November.
Nothe Fort co-general manager, Mary-Anne Edwards, said, "We are thrilled with the continuing growth in visitor numbers and excited about our lottery bid to transform the nuclear bunker into an educational attraction.
"It is based on two years of consultation with our visitors.
"With how the world is at the moment, people are really interested in it. We have been doing some trial tours and opening up spaces people have not seen before - like the bunk beds.
READ: Weymouth remembers D-Day on 80th anniversary at Nothe
The bunker was built in secret between 1980 and 1983 and would have been the 'command centre' for Weymouth and Portland.
The fort is keen to tell the story of the bunker and the people who would have been chosen to enter it had a nuclear war broken out during the Cold War.
She added: "It is a really exciting development and it will add so much to the town.
"Weymouth is more than a bucket and spade resort and it is the only shelter in Dorset and one that our visitors can easily get access to."
READ: Weymouth Nothe Fort visitor numbers continue to rise
Opening up the bunker to visitors will only do to make the fort an even more desirable destination for tourists and locals alike.
The fort has reported a 20 per cent increase in visitors year-on-year, with last year being the busiest year ever for the fort.
As reported, it saw a total of 89,000 visitors come through its doors in 2023 – 14,000 more than in 2022 – setting a record for the Weymouth landmark.
READ: Nothe Fort named best small tourist attraction in England
The latest figures from the fort suggest that 2024 could be another record-breaking year with visitor numbers up by more than a third from 2023.
In June, it was named the 'Best Small Visitor Attraction' at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence - cementing its reputation as one of the country's top tourist destinations.
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