A MATHEMATICS genius and famous author has inspired a creative teaching legacy.

A new £800,000 Lewis Caroll Centre in Daresbury will include educational and interpretation facilities for familes, schools, adult learners and specialist literary groups.

The centre is being built in an extension of All Saints Church, where Lewis Carroll, alias Charles Dodgson, was born.

He was mathematically gifted and won a double first degree at Christ Church, Oxford, before going on to write Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass.

The visitor centre, due to open in autumn, 2011, is expected to attract more than 10,000 tourists from across the UK, Japan, America and New Zealand.

Steph Davies, Halton Council’s principal funding officer, said: “Because of Lewis Carroll’s background with literature and maths, it will deliver adult literacy and numeracy programmes.

“It will develop lots of projects with local schools.

“It will use the hook of the Lewis Carroll story to hook into learning.

“It will also link in with specialist literature tours for the Brontes and Beatrix Potter.”

Admission will be free and visitors will be able to browse in a themed shop, selling a new Wonderland game.

The elegant new building will have displays illustrating Lewis Carroll’s life.

Visitors will be able to listen to his stories recorded by comic Ken Dodd and actress Dillie Keane.

Norton Priory Museum is writing educational material and running a training programme for volunteers.

Funding has come from the Heritage Lottery Fund (£371,000), North West Development Agency’s Rural Development Programme for England scheme (£212,000), BIFFA (£50,000), NWDA (£65,000), WREN (£25,000), Halton Council (£50,000)