Observatory Reopens thanks to HLF Grant
This project is funded by the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage. The Culture Recovery Fund is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England, using funds provided by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Thanks to a grant from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage, donations from our community and the support of the Orwell Astronomical Society of Ipswich (OASI), the Orwell Park Observatory has reopened to visitors following mandated closures owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. This reopening was marked by a visit by NASA astrophysicist Dr Belinda Wilkes who gave an Orangery Lecture entitled ‘The View of the Universe Through the Sharp, X-ray Eyes of NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory’, through which many of our pupils were able to enjoy tours of the Observatory with the support of the OASI.
Through this funding, we were able to equip the site for reopening in a Covid-safe manner, as well as to create educational resources to widen access, and carry out essential maintenance. Visits and tours have now resumed as a result; if you would like to arrange a visit, please contact the OASI. If you are getting in touch on behalf of a School and would like to request educational materials, please email us directly.
