Staff and volunteers are celebrating their good 'fort'-une with the news that a £50,000 cash boost has been awarded to Weymouth's Nothe Fort.

The Victorian fort, now a tourist attraction and museum, is run by Weymouth Civic Society, which submitted the bid to the Coastal Revival Fund for cash to improve the north face of the building.

Jonathan Turner, facilities manager at the Nothe Fort, said a phone call inviting the Civic Society to apply for funding came "out of the blue" last summer.

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But there was a catch – the deadline to submit their bid was just a fortnight away.

"It was midnight oil stuff", he said.

"Everybody was really supportive.

"Historic England, the council, and a company called Bounce Back - which told us about the grant - all gave us lots of help.

"It really was a show of community spirit - I'm absolutely delighted".

Mr Turner said the money will be spent on building an extension to the north terrace of the fort, which overlooks the harbour and Weymouth Bay.

It will also allow the group to install a new disabled access ramp leading up to the terrace from reception.

"Not being able to offer a ramp has been a thorn in my side for many years", the facilities manager confessed.

"I'm really looking forward to it".

New floodlights will also be added to the north face - including lighting that will illuminate the 'Nothe Fort' sign.

"On TripAdvisor we've been rated the second most popular attraction in the town, even higher than Weymouth Beach – and we're keen to continue to improve public perception", Mr Turner said.

The Coastal Revival Fund was introduced by the current government in 2015 to help coastal towns restore 'iconic' buildings.

Also celebrating the announcement is Richard Drax, MP for South Dorset – who described the news as "excellent", and said the funding would help the fort in its role as a wedding venue, as well as a centre for community activities.

“I would like to sincerely congratulate Jonathan Turner and his team for a remarkable achievement in putting together this successful bid, which will allow Weymouth residents and visitors to enjoy Nothe Fort even more in future”, he added.

Besides the Nothe Fort, £32,000 was awarded to the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis.

The money will be spent on a redevelopment project designed to establish the theatre's reputation among holiday makers and attract new audiences.