A POPULAR tourist attraction has received more than £200,000 in government funding.

Seaton Tramway has received a grant of £217,500 from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and reopen.

The funding comes at welcome time for the tramway, which had to endure huge losses during the Covid-19 lockdown, closing from March to July and throughout November in 2020, before being closed once again for the entirety of 2021 to date.

Seaton Tramway hopes to reopen again from 10am, on Monday, April 12.

Jenny Nunn, chief executive of Seaton Tramway, said: “After another long period of national lockdown, we are delighted that the Culture Recovery Fund has awarded us a further £217,500. This will enable us to sustain the Tramway going forward in what has been a really difficult and uncertain time for all considering visitor numbers were down 70% in 2020, assisting with essential repairs, overheads and staff wages.

"The main priorities have been to protect the complex infrastructure, ensure projects started pre-pandemic are completed and maintain pre-Covid staffing levels in order to offer the quality experience visitors expect when we hope we’re able to re-open on April 12.”