PLANS to restore a Hampshire monument built to honour one of Britain’s greatest naval heroes have received a cash boost.

Grants totalling £6,000 have been awarded to a group of enthusiasts who have vowed to transform an Egyptian-style obelisk erected in memory of Admiral Sir Harry Burrard Neale.

And the volunteers are also hoping to receive a £25,000 grant from the New Forest National Park Authority.

Sir Harry, who lived in the Forest, rose to become Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet. He also captured or destroyed 20 enemy vessels during his career as well as helping to defeat a mutiny.

The 172-year-old obelisk overlooks Lymington, where Sir Harry was MP for a total of 25 years over a 40-year period.

Next year sees the 250th anniversary of his birth and the 175th anniversary of his death in 1840.

As reported in the Daily Echo, plans to refurbish the monument have been drawn up by the Burrard Neale 250 campaign, a group of organisations that include the Lymington Society and the Hampshire Gardens Trust.

The three-phase project includes a major landscaping scheme, followed by improvements to the obelisk itself.

Hampshire County Council has donated £4,000 and an application for a further £2,000 was approved at a meeting of Lymington and Pennington Town Council’s policy and resources committee.

The cash will be spent on upgrading the overgrown area around the base of the obelisk, including a section of the Solent Way footpath.

A report to town councillors said a large amount of laurel had already been removed, “vastly improving” the monument’s surroundings.

But it said extra work was required and highlighted the need to fence part of the site, which overlooks an old quarry.

The report added: “The group has asked for a contribution of £2,000 to promote its efforts. Considering the amount of time the group has spent on the project, and the results that have materialised, this is not unreasonable.

“The group have appointed a professional landscaper who has been negotiating with the various authorities in order to come up with a landscape plan.

“This will include the creation of a small pond at the lower end of the site and identifying the best way to improve the area.”