Grant funding enables repairs at Attingham
Projects at 15 National Trust properties across England, including Attingham Park near Shrewsbury, have been completed thanks to money received from the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund awarded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
A project at Attingham Park near Shrewsbury has been completed thanks to money received from the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund awarded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The Culture Recovery Fund, distributed through Historic England, was set up by the Government to support cultural organisations and heritage sites during the coronavirus pandemic.
A grant of £3.3 million was awarded to the National Trust in 2021 for 19 projects at 15 locations across the country at a total cost of £4.11m.
At Attingham Park the boundary wall which runs along the edge of the parkland had suffered damage from a number of factors including flooding and water ingress, damp and freeze/thaw impact, and so works have included rebuilding sections of the wall and replacement of historic materials which have been lost – bricks and stone coping stones.
Repairs and decorative work were also needed at the mansion and included conservation joinery repairs to windows and doors, external decoration to windows, doors and balustrading and replacement of lead window hoods.
Hilary McGrady, Director-General, National Trust said:
“We are enormously grateful for the support provided to us through the Culture Recovery Fund. During the first year of the pandemic, we faced major financial challenges and had to put on hold all of our conservation projects, however urgent.
“The Recovery Fund was created at a crucial time for the heritage sector. The support it provided meant we could undertake work that would otherwise not have been possible, in turn generating much-needed investment in heritage skills, jobs and suppliers.
“Some of our most important historic places have benefited from this funding, safeguarding our shared heritage for everyone to enjoy, now and for ever.”
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive, Historic England said:
“We have supported a wide range of heritage organisations, including many important National Trust sites, through managing and distributing the CRF’s £87million Heritage Stimulus Fund on behalf of government. It is wonderful to hear how the funding continues to help bring heritage sites back to life by supporting major building programmes, safeguarding jobs, generating employment, and ensuring that they continue to thrive for future generations.”
Nigel Huddleston, Heritage Minister, said:
"Our heritage sites are a window into our shared past and thanks to the unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund the National Trust has been able to repair these 15 properties securing their future for the next generation. The fund has protected hundreds of heritage sites throughout the pandemic so that they can now open their doors for people to enjoy.”
The Culture Recovery Fund has covered 80% of the project works, with the Trust finding the remainder with thanks to support from Woodmansterne, Little Greene, Stevensons, Wentworth Wooden Puzzles, Alitex, Burgon & Ball and Westminster Stone, all of whom produce brand licensed collections alongside the National Trust and support its conservation work.
