Attingham Park reveals plans to improve visitor facilities
Plans have been lodged for an exciting and eagerly-anticipated project to improve visitor facilities and introduce green energy at one of Shropshire’s best loved attractions.
Attingham Park, near Shrewsbury, is planning to improve and extend its catering offer in response to demand, with visitor numbers jumping from 140,000 in 2004/05 to 395,000 last year. The installation of a district biomass system will also remove the property’s reliance on oil by providing hot water and heating to the Stable Block and Mansion.
The National Trust has submitted plans to extend what is currently Attingham’s Carriage House Café and transform it into the Stables Restaurant and coffee shop. New seating areas will be created in the south east corner of Attingham’s Georgian Stable Block, more than doubling the existing provision. Visitors will be able to see inside these parts of the building for the first time and enjoy views over the front park.
Plans include the creation of a new hot food servery and a separate coffee shop which will allow more people to be served more quickly. A new, purpose built kitchen is also planned which will improve working conditions, increase capacity and offer a wider range of hot and cold meals as well as Sunday lunches.
General Manager Mark Agnew said: “This is an ambitious and exciting programme of works which will greatly improve and enhance the already popular Carriage House Café.
“A new coffee shop will offer a swifter service for visitors just wanting a quick drink or snack, whereas the new Stables Restaurant servery will cater for those wanting a more leisurely dining experience.
“Our proposed new seating area will allow visitors to enjoy a view over the front parkland.”
A new 320kw biomass boiler* is planned as part of the project, which will replace Attingham’s current annual consumption of 40,000 litres of oil with wood chip produced from the Attingham Estate. The boiler will be housed within a new building specially designed to blend in with the historic surroundings.
Mr Agnew said: “The new biomass system, which will replace a failing oil boiler, will provide hot water and heating to the Stable Block and mansion, as well as office space. This will make Attingham much more environmentally-friendly, as well as saving more money to spend on future conservation projects.”
The work is all part of ‘The Stables: Reworking a Grand Design’ project, which is part of a wider ten year plan to transform the visitor experience at Attingham. Other improvements have included work to extend and resurface the car park and the creation of new toilets, soon to open within the Stable Block.
Plans also include the creation of a new visitor reception building which is likely to be built at a later date.
Mr Agnew added: “Our current visitor reception building is temporary and will be used elsewhere on site once we are in a position to build a new purpose-built area to welcome our visitors.
“All of this work is to ensure that the hundreds of thousands of visitors who love coming here each year have a fantastic experience, whilst at the same time ensuring everything we do is sympathetic and in-keeping with the beautiful historic surroundings that make Attingham so special.
“Every penny we make from our new catering operation will be invested back into the care and conservation of Attingham.”
