Fresh Culture Recovery Fund grant for repairs at mansion
Wentworth Woodhouse, in Rotherham, is among 142 historic sites across England to receive grants totalling £35m through the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.
Funding of £542,500 will pay for vital roof repairs to the South Pavilion on the Grade I listed mansion’s Palladian East Front.
The grant has been awarded by Historic England from the second round of the Heritage Stimulus Fund, which is part of the Culture Recovery Fund.
Wentworth Woodhouse is being regenerated by a Preservation Trust (WWPT) and over the last four years, huge strides have been made to repair roofs over rooms and buildings being destroyed by rain damage.
The mansion’s 606 feet Palladian East front has pavilions at each end. Both were found to be in dire need of major roof repairs. Rain had penetrated for decades and the buildings were deteriorating.
Earlier this year, specialist conservators carried out essential repairs to the North Pavilion, along with roof repairs to the North and South Quadrant and Long Gallery West.
The project took six months and was funded by a grant of £811,000 from the first round of the Heritage Stimulus Fund, administered by Historic England
WWPT CEO, Sarah McLeod, said: “We are so grateful to hear that we have been awarded a further sum in the second wave of grants.
“The first grant we received from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund threw us a much-needed lifeline in the pandemic.
“We were able to finish repairs to the most vulnerable areas of the mansion’s roof and carry out vital repairs to the North Pavilion, keeping heritage craftsmen in work.
“Finding out that we can now keep the South Pavilion safe is very welcome news.”
The £542,500 will be spent on repairing the roof, its guttering and stonework so the building can be made water-tight.
Its weather vane will be restored and re-gilded to match the lustre of the newly-refurbished vane on the North Pavilion.
The contract for the work is currently out to tender with heritage construction specialists. Scaffolding will be erected before Christmas and most of the work to be completed by March with the project finished in its entirety by June.
