The grant will enable the team to press ahead with its ambition to deliver a number of cultural events, educational work and community engagement activities to provide a gateway for people from all walks of life to explore Northumberland National Park.
Located on the site of the previous National Park Visitor Centre at Once Brewed, The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre has been funded primarily through a £7.8m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
National Park chairman Glen Sanderson said: “The Sill is a ground-breaking project of national and international significance.
“It will connect a diverse range of people with our stunning landscapes and help visitors to make connections and discover places that may seem out of reach or difficult to find.
“With the help of our partners, including the county council, to whom we are most grateful for its support, we want to help open up the new experiences that our landscape has to offer and the joy that these can bring.”
The Sill is on schedule to open in 2017, and is expected to attract over 100,000 visitors per year and contribute an estimated £2.5m per annum to the North of Tyne economy.
It is set to be home to a new, state-of-the-art youth hostel with around 90 beds, as well as providing fully-serviced office facilities for more than 20 local start-up businesses related to outdoor pursuits.
It will also house an extensive café, which will offer food from producers across the county.
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