A project to tell the history of a Norfolk chapel as a centre for traditional Orthodox Icon painting and a former railway station has been boosted by Heritage Lottery funding.

St Seraphim's Trust, home to St Seraphim's Orthodox Chapel in Little Walsingham, has received a stage one Heritage Lottery Fund grant. It is being used to develop plans for a full Heritage Lottery bid in spring 2013 for funds to interpret and present to visitors the story of St Seraphim's.

St Seraphim's Trust aims to build on the long tradition of Orthodox Icon painting carried out by Father David Meyrick, who died in 1993 and Leon Liddament, who died in 2010. Their highly-regarded icons of local and British saints can be seen in churches throughout the world.

The project will make the chapel and the rest of the building, including the surviving station platform and the large garden behind it, fully accessible to all visitors. Plans include a display area for Fr Meyrick and Mr Liddament's icons, and workshop spaces where courses and events will be held to enable people to learn about iconography and its role in the Orthodox Christian faith.

Work has begun on developing a community garden and a viewing hut has been established from which visitors can see all the religious sites in Walsingham.

Project Manager Sylvia Batchelor. 'I'm sure Fr David and Leon would have been very pleased to see this happening and it will be a fitting memorial to them.'

She added: 'We are delighted to have been invited to stage an exhibition of their icons in The Hostry, Norwich Cathedral in December 2013. This will bring their work to a new audience and help raise the profile of our project in Walsingham.'

Volunteers are needed to help manage the garden and work on the St Seraphim's archives. For more information see www.iconpainter.org.uk, call 01328 820610, or email sylvia@iconpainter.org.uk or jessica@iconpainter.org.uk.