A £500,000 project to encourage more people to appreciate Rossendale's 200-year history of stone quarrying is set to be launched.

The Valley of Stone project aims to preserve and enhance the Valley's quarries as archaeological relics and encourage more people to visit them and learn about the borough's history.

Central to the project is an eco-museum' - a museum without walls which involves local people in protecting their heritage and providing an educational resource for the future.

Project leaders will also be asking for permission to carry out work at two council-owned quarries, Thurns Head and Cragg.

A heritage trail and better access is proposed for Thurns Head and conservation work is proposed for Cragg.

On Wednesday, members of Rossendale Council's Cabinet will decide whether to approve the project, and support its £500,000 bid for funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

A spokesman for the project said: "The principal aim of the Rossendale Valley of Stone Project is to contribute to the environmental, cultural and economic regeneration of Rossendale by developing and establishing a framework for local people and visitors to access and enjoy this unique quarry and tramway heritage."

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