Lincoln Cathedral has received a heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) windfall of £11.4m (US$14.1m, €13.4m) to enhance the historic site with a new visitor centre.

As part of the £16m (US$19.8m, €18.8m) Lincoln Cathedral Connected (LCC) project, the building – completed in the 14th century and home to one of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta – will feature a visitors’ centre, café, shop and exhibition facility, while the Dean’s Garden will also be opened to the public for the first time.

The new visitor centre will increase space to present the cathedral's artefacts, many of which are not currently on public display. Money will also go towards the restoration and protection of the Exchequergate Arch, while floodlighting will be improved to ensure the cathedral is properly lit at night. New digital facilities will also offer better access for deaf or disabled visitors.

“Lincoln Cathedral is one of England’s finest surviving architectural examples of Norman power and dominance,” said HLF CEO, Ros Kerslake. “With support from National Lottery players, restoration work can now begin along with the creation of a new interpretation centre. We’re particularly supportive of a complementary programme of activities aimed at doubling current school visit numbers.”

LCC said in a statement that work will start imminently, with a scheduled completion date of Q2 2020. LCC also said that the HLF investment would help attract an estimated 250,000 additional visitors to the cathedral each year, generating £50m (US$62m, €59m) of business to Lincoln over the next five years. The work follows on from a £22m (US$27m, €26m) restoration of the nearby Lincoln castle, which was predicted to give a £68m (US$84.3m, €79.9m) boost to Lincoln tourism economy in 2015.