English Heritage has awarded a grant of £200,000 towards restoration work on an Italianate garden in south Devon.

Lupton House, near Brixham, lies in a 120 hectare landscaped park and the garden is thought to date from the 1840s. The property - home of the Buller family until the 1930s - became a hotel in the 1950s and a school until its closure in 2004, when it was abandoned. In 2009 it was taken over by the Lupton Trust with a view to regenerating both house and garden for development as a community enterprise village. Kim Auston, English Heritage landscape architect, said: "These gardens are particularly interesting as a rare survivor of an Italianate design in Devon. The design complements the front of the house and it is unusually innovative in its use of cast iron detailing in the fountain, fences and other features.

"The garden is now at a key point in its history when major intervention is needed to secure it for the local community and future generations." Janet Howard, of the Lupton Trust, said: "We are delighted to receive this grant from English Heritage. The community interest in the garden has been overwhelming - we have had several teams of young people working on the garden, including The Prince's Trust, Groundwork, BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) and all generations of the local community."

The grant will be used to carry out detailed surveys and repair of the garden and its remaining structures, including historical research into the garden's original development. Also planned is the repair of the aviary, an octagonal building which has been unused for at least 20 years.