Blaenau Gwent Council has announced that a £5.5m project to restore Bedwellty House and Park at Tredegar, South Wales, will get underway in early 2009.

A technical team, to carry out the two-stage reconstruction programme, will be appointed shortly. The work will transform the site into a high quality heritage centre for the Heads of the Valleys region. New facilities to be created at Bedwellty House include a cafe, a bar, an exhibition and multi-use space, an education space and a reception area. Visitors will also be given the chance to see how the house was used during the past two centuries through a series of guided walks and living history events.

Jason Owen, the council's executive member for leisure, said: "Local people and visitors will feel they are stepping back in time. Both house and park have a fascinating story to tell – and both will be welcoming visitors with 21st century facilities." The first stage of the project will see the restoration of the historic element of the site, while the second stage will involve work on recreational facilities, including a new bowls pavilion, upgraded tennis facilities and children's play facilities.

The project is expected to take 20 months to complete, and has been funded through a £3.5m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Additional funding has also come from the Heads of the Valleys Programme, a partnership between five local authorities and the Welsh Assembly Government.