WILTSHIRE’S heritage and stunning scenery were the centre of attention for a government minister who visited the county to see how tourism is growing in the area.

Sport, Tourism and Heritage Minister Tracey Crouch visited Grittleton House where she attended the Great West Way Stakeholder Engagement conference as part of English Tourism Week, where she met local businesses to hear about the completion of the first phase of the Discover England Fund project.

She also visited the Historic England Archive, one of the largest public archives with more than 12 million photographs, drawings and reports relating to the archaeology and architecture of England.

She said: “With its stunning landscapes, vibrant cities and world-famous heritage such as Stonehenge and Stourhead House and Garden, Wiltshire is one of the most beautiful places to visit in England.

“Our heritage is a huge draw for tourists from both home and abroad and the wealth of exciting local projects like the Great West Way will help to encourage even more people to stay in this wonderful part of the world.”

Ms Crouch also visited the headquarters for the National Trust and English Heritage and the Museum of the Great Western Railway in Swindon during her whistle-stop tour.

This will create a new tourism route through the area and in August 2016, the first grants from the £40 million Discover England fund were awarded to projects and organisations across the country.

More than 260,000 people from across the globe visited Wiltshire in 2015 which generated £860million for the local economy.