THE wartime history of a Christchurch landmark will come to life once again this year thanks to a £10,000 grant.

The Friends of St Catherine's Hill have been awarded the money from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support project History of the Hill: Christchurch Remembered.

Volunteers from the town will host a history day and a pop-up First World War cinema as part of the initiative, which focuses on researching and raising awareness of the use of the hill during the conflict.

The Friends will also form partnerships with Christchurch Junior School and artist Craig Wilson, who will be commissioned to paint the site.

Designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its ecological, historical and geological significance, St Catherine's Hill has been used over many historical periods from the Stone Age to the present day.

The land was also used during both world wars, particularly for trench warfare training during the First World War.

Field engineers from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force were among those who completed their training at the site.

Melanie Gibbons, chairman of the Friends, said the grant offers an opportunity to better identify heritage features from the wars.

Contact is welcomed from anyone with a particular interest or connection to the site, as well as those happy to provide related material or volunteer their time to the initiative.

"We are delighted to have received the support of the National Lottery and are confident the project will help all of us better identify and understand the rich historical connections of the hill both now and into the future," she said.

The history day will take place at the hill on Sunday, September 24.

The event will feature living history displays and a pop-up cinema.

Visitors will also be able to learn more about the wartime uses of the site, including trench training.

Nerys Watts, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund South West, said: “Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, we’re pleased to support this project which will enable people of all ages to understand the experience of their community during the First World War and the legacy of the conflict for St Catherine’s Hill.”