The UK's only World War One battlefield, which is "one the most important historic military sites in England", is set to be restored after winning £40,000 funding.

Historic England has awarded almost £40,000 towards the restoration of Heugh Battery in Hartlepool. The site was the scene of a battle with three German battlecruisers on December 16, 1914.

Whilst attacking the North East coast, the German ships shelled Hartlepool, killing over 100 civilians and injuring a further 400.

Returning fire, the Heugh Battery guns caused minor damage to the enemy vessels but this is thought to have been to enough cut the bombardment short.

Now run as an independent military museum by Heugh Gun Battery Trust, the site needs significant repair work and is on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, as part of the Hartlepool Headland Conservation Area. 

Heugh Battery has a range of problems including concrete decay, metalwork corrosion, poor ventilation and flooding, which has resulted in some parts of the museum being closed to the public. With inaction, these issues will only worsen - but Historic England's funds will help to kickstart restoration effots. 

Diane Stephens, Manager of the Heugh Battery Museum, said: “We are grateful to Historic England for their support in helping us to access professional advice to get vital information together about what is needed to repair and restore the fabric of this important historic military site, which is such a beloved part of our community. 

“We hope that we can go on to secure the funds needed for the repairs and cannot thank Historic England enough for their support and advice throughout this process.”

Historic England’s grant of £38,530 will help to fund specialist surveys of the battery to assess the extent of the damage and pay for the development of a repair and maintenance plan. This work will help to unlock further funding for the repairs and marks the first major step in securing the long-term future of the site. 

Tom Gledhill, Heritage at Risk Projects Officer at Historic England, said: “The Heugh Battery is one of the most important historic military sites in England. We are really pleased to be working with the Heugh Gun Battery Trust to restore this cherished local attraction.”