Event - Life of Workhouse woman explored at new Southwell Workhouse exhibition

THE role of women in The Workhouse’s recent past is being brought to life during a new exhibition at the poular National Trust attraction .

The Woman in The Workhouse exhibition opens on 8th March to mark International Woman’s day.

Drawing on oral history archives, the exhibition focuses on the involvement of women in a wide range of areas through testimonies, including those of a former matron, nurse, seamstress, hairdresser, cook and inmate, to vividly tell the tale of life at the harsh Workhouse.

Visitors can discover moving accounts from those who have lived, worked or provided services to The Workhouse, which have been collected by volunteers over the past 15 years. 

It is hoped that the exhibition will act as a stimulus to visitors to share their memories of the institution.

Samantha Ball, a volunteer who has been closely involved in researching the exhibition, said: “Oral history provides a realistic record of the good things and the bad, the kindness and the cruelties and seemingly insignificant details which help us interpret the real story of the workhouse.”

Those who are inspired to find out more about workhouses in their own area can search a special database and discover what became of these imposing buildings.

Women also played an important role in bringing about change within the workhouse system through their involvement as social reformers and Guardians.

The exhibition is brought up to date with current staff reflecting on their roles and what The Workhouse means to them.

Visitors to The Workhouse can see the exhibition as part of their house tour from 8th March to 3rd November 2013. 

Normal admission price to The Workhouse is £7.50 for adults and £3.75 for children. National Trust members are free of charge.

The Workhouse, Southwell opens to visitors for the 2013 season on Wednesday 27 February. 

from: http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/life-of-workhouse-woman-explored-at-new-southwell-workhouse-exhibition-1-5416450?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Event - Visit Mr Straw’s house after dark (Worksop)

Mr STRAW’S House in Worksop is offering a rare opportunity for a night-time visit this weekend.


The National Trust property is taking part in the nationwide Museums at Night initiative, which sees hundreds of museums, galleries, libraries, and heritage sites open their doors for special evening events over the weekend of 18th to 20th May.

As well as seeing this unique property after hours, visitors will be able to view objects that are not usually on display.

Booking is essential for the event at 7pm on Friday 18th May.

“This is a rare opportunity for visitors to see a National Trust place in a different light,” said director for the Midlands Beccy Speight.

“We’re really working to increase the opportunities people have to come to these special places in the Midlands – whether that’s opening more in the winter or offering longer opening hours.”

“Even our most frequent visitors will experience a new side to their favourite place at this special event.”

For more details visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/midlands

From: http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/local-news/visit-mr-straw-s-house-after-dark-1-4549241

Article - Southwell Workhouse volunteer is happy to give up his time for National Trust attraction

JOHN Marchmont at 87 is one of the oldest volunteers working at Southwell’s Workhouse for The National Trust.

But with age comes experience, knowledge and charm and John has it all in abundance.

The former textile worker and driving instructor is no newcomer to volunteer work, having served with the Territorial Army for 25 years and also lending a hand at Southwell Minster when required.

He lives nearby in the town in the shadow of the historical Workhouse and watched as the building was renovated and brought back to life by the national charity, not realising that he would one day become its ‘Master’.

“Both The National Trust and the Church of England would grind to a halt without their volunteers, that’s why I’m happy to help.

“I received a certificate from The National Trust’s director general, Dame Fiona Reynolds, when she visited in March during our 10 year celebrations,” explained John whose wife died two years ago.

John is one of four volunteers who plays the revered role of The Workhouse ‘Master’. I watch as he dons the long coat and top hat and takes up the shiny, brass-topped cane for our photo-shoot and witness the transformation.

This character plays the part perfectly, giving enough stern stares at youngsters to engage them without causing fear yet instilling in them the true portrayal of the part.

“I really enjoy the school visits but it’s important not to be too heavy-handed as children today aren’t as tough as they were in the days the Workhouse operated,” joked John, who is a popular figure amongst staff and visitors and was voted as the person most volunteers wanted to be their grandfather!

John not only brings his role to life but with eight decades behind him is a living history on his own with a wealth of tales to draw upon.

It is John’s drive to ‘keep going’ despite his years that motivates him to volunteer around one day a week.

“I like to stay busy and occupied and talking to the children enables me to give a small input into their learning. What I don’t want is to just sit by the fire all day long and die when nobody is looking.

“It’s also been a great way of meeting new people and making friends. All the volunteers and paid staff have a good rapport with each other.”

At the Workhouse open days, John has been known to switch sides, swapping his wool coat of ‘Master’ for pauper’s rags as an inmate oakum-picking in the men’s yard.

John explains: “Each role is a bit of a challenge for different reasons. You have to bring personality to them and act the part to make it entertaining as well as informative for visitors.”

Acting skills are also put to the test during the annual Christmas pantomime put on by the educational volunteers.

“We all get along so well and have a laugh together,” added John.

The volunteers’ efforts at The Workhouse are invaluable supporting the staff in protecting the site, maintaining it and providing the learning opportunities for its visitors.

Property manager, Rachel Harrison, recognises the enormous role volunteers play within the Southwell venue but also throughout the whole trust.

“Volunteers are the life-blood of the organisation,” she said. “We are one big family at The Workhouse and all stick together.

“We couldn’t manage without them. They are a lovely group who are very intelligent and a delight to work with.”

So at 87, is John ready to hang up his hat at The Workhouse yet? “No,” said John with a resounding voice. “With age comes physical limitations but I’ll keep helping for as long as I can.”

From: http://www.chad.co.uk/news/business/southwell-workhouse-volunteer-is-happy-to-give-up-his-time-for-national-trust-attraction-1-4467442

News - Digging for clues of the past (Southwell)

Mysterious earthworks in Southwell are set to be investigated by the town’s archaeological group.

Southwell Community Archaeology Group plans to work with Nottingham and Leicester universities and Nottinghamshire County Council to investigate the earthworks that encircle part of the town, including the Burgage.

They appear to follow Newark Road to the north then turn south and east, following Potwell Dyke, before returning to the west past the rear of Burgage Manor and Rainbows depot.

Currently nothing is known about the extent, age or purpose of the earthworks but experts believe they are not a natural feature.

Archaeology group chairman Mr John Lock said: “There has been a resurgence of interest in the origins of Southwell. In part no doubt caused by the ongoing discoveries on Church Street.

“Other exciting developments are proposed at the Archbishop’s Palace and National Trust workhouse.

“There has never been a better time for capitalising on and being part of this surge of community and professional engagement.”

Mr Lock said they could potentially be looking at Iron Age earthworks, which would pre-date the Roman settlement.

He said: “It might be that there is nothing there but let us put it to the test.”

The project will be in two parts. The first is establishing funding and research using maps and archive material.

The group then plans a detailed survey of the earthworks, a geophysical survey and digs in test pits to try to discover who built them and why.

Mr Lock said: “The objective is to identify the location and extent of the earthworks, establish their origins and purpose and throw light on their significance and relevance in the development of Southwell and its locality.”

Mr Lock hoped to involve the wider community in the project through community days.

The project is part of a wider investigation run by Nottingham University’s archaeology department, which is digging test pits around Southwell to try to discover more about its past.

More information about the project will be available at a talk organised by the archaeology group at the Old Court House on Saturday.

Rachel Hall, an archaeologist for the National Trust based at Clumber Park, will give a talk on National Trust archaeology in the East Midlands.

The presentation starts at 10am and admission is £2.50 for non-members of the archaeology group.

The former Church Street site of the Minster School is believed to contain Roman remains of national importance.

Experts believe it could have been the site of one of the largest Roman villas in the East Midlands or a temple and it was later used as a Saxon burial ground.

Medieval burials were recently discovered at Platts Orchard, just off Church Street, which could provide a continuous link in burials in the area from the Saxon period to modern times.

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Digging-for-clues-of-the-past

Event - Southwell Workhouse: A place of despair for Victorian poor

THE Workhouse at Southwell has welcomed more than 350,000 through it's imposing doors since it opened as a visitor attraction ten years ago.

Marketed as the best preserved workhouse still standing in England, the incredible-looking building – which dates from 1824 – tells the hidden story of the poor through its thought-provoking tour and other special activities.

To start the anniversary year off in style, the venue, which is owned and run by the National Trust, will reopen for the new season on Wednesday with free entry to a new exhibition Ten Years of Housekeeping at The Workhouse.

What better way to spend that extra leap year day?

Also, on March 13 (the actual anniversary of the opening), the director general of the National Trust, Dame Fiona Reynolds, will attend a presentation of long-service awards to more than 40 volunteers who have helped bring the history of the building to life.

She'll also launch a new laundry room where, instead of the usual formal cutting of a ribbon, she'll cut a washing line complete with some delightful pauper's clothing.

Property manager Rachel Harrison adds: "We are all very excited about 2012 as the tenth anniversary of opening the Workhouse to the public.

"As well as the ever-popular Graft, Gruel and Good-For-Nothings Days, family fun days and Easter trails, we have special events planned for 2012 – including a Victorian village fete and community drama weekend. We hope as many people as possible will come and celebrate with us."

The Workhouse was built as a place of last resort for the poor and destitute of Southwell, and was still being used for temporary accommodation for families into the 1980s.

Built at a cost of £6,500, it was originally known as the Thurgarton Hundred Incorporated Workhouse and served 49 parishes, each represented by guardians who held regular meetings there.

After the building found itself under threat of development into residential flats in the 1990s, the National Trust intervened to acquire the property. It spent £4.5m and three years on the purchase and restoration of the building, which opened its doors to the public on March 13, 2002.

The Workhouse's austere whitewashed walls once played host to a range of inmates who were divided into children, the elderly and infirm and the able-bodied.

The story is told from the perspective of those who lived and worked there – and you can listen to their tales and decide for yourself whether it was a place of despair or a beacon of hope.

You'll meet the Reverend Becher, founder of the Workhouse, and immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere evoked by the audio guide, which is based on real archive records.

Anyone interested in social history will love discovering how society dealt with poverty through the centuries.

You can also explore the segregated work yards, day rooms, dormitories, master's quarters and cellars, then see the recreated working 19th-century garden and find out what food the paupers would have eaten. 

Among the surprising and entertaining characters you'll get to meet are Sarah Godson, who once bared her bottom in church, as well as a host of others whose moving stories are told in a energetic way.

You can also find out more about your own ancestry through regular heritage events, as well as discovering the challenges the National Trust faced to preserve this amazing property.

And don't forget the Victorian vegetable garden, planted and harvested following a three-year rotation method, popular during the 1850s.

A strong team of volunteers work the land every Wednesday and harvest seasonal goods for you to buy from the stunning vegetable barrow.

The Workhouse is open Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 5pm. Admission is £7 for adults, £3.50 for children and £17.50 for a family. Details on 01636 817250/www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Southwell-Workhouse-place-despair-Victorian-poor/story-15341723-detail/story.html

Courses - Nottingham University Local History Seminars, January-March 2012

Nottingham University's School of History is running a series of Saturday Local History Seminars early next year. They take place at the School of History in Lenton House, start at 10am and admission costs £5. The programme is as follows:

• 14 January 2012 – Researching Nottinghamshire's Architectural History by Elaine Harwood (English Heritage)
• 11 February 2012 – Going Local with the National Trust by Ben Cowell (National Trust)
• 10 March 2012  – The South Oxfordshire Project: Perceptions of Landscapes, Settlement and Society, c500-1650 by Stephen Mileson (VCH and editor of the Oxoniensia journal) 

Full details from Professor John Beckett at john.beckett@nottingham.ac.uk

From: http://nottshistory.blogspot.com/2011/12/nottingham-university-history-seminars.html

Apologies to Andy for stealing his article

Event - National Trust's leaders in talks (Nottingham)

THE National Trust has announced it will hold its annual general meeting in Nottingham.

There will be talks by chairman Sir Simon Jenkins and deputy chairman Sir Laurie Magnus. The event will also feature displays and a conker competition.

Visitors can also plant an acorn outside the venue, the Royal Concert Hall, which will be grown and then planted in the Peak District.

National Trust attractions in the county include Clumber Park, traditional grocer's home Mr Straw's House in Worksop and the Workhouse in Southwell.

Beccy Speight, Midlands regional director, said: "This is a great opportunity to raise the profile of what an amazing region the Midlands is, and how special Nottinghamshire is.

"Over 79,000 of our members are from this county and this is a chance to say thank you for their support."

The AGM takes place on Saturday, October 29.

It is open to members of the trust, who can register to attend by e-mailing agm@nationaltrust.org.uk or via their voting papers in the autumn edition of the trust's magazine.

 

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/National-Trust-s-leaders-talks/story-13620621-detail/story.html

Event - Churches of South Yorkshire Talk (Worksop)

The National Trust's next meeting at The Crossing, Newcastle Avenue, Worksop - Wed 19th October, 7.30pm is on Churches in South Yorkshire by Pat Mclaughlan. NT Members and Volunteers welcome. Coffee and biscuits served from 7pm.

Modified From: http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/community/news_from_your_village_1_3874479

Event - Taste of past as estate garden reveals apple treasure trove (Clumber Park)

MORE than 70 varieties of apple have been picked by staff on a National Trust estate in readiness for a festival which will celebrate the fruit this weekend.

The apples have been grown in the Walled Kitchen Garden, at Clumber Park, near Worksop, and visitors will be able to sample several tastes which are not available in shops.

Garden staff said half of the varieties grown on the estate are from Yorkshire and the East Midlands and include Annie Elizabeth, Bess Pool, Sisson’s Worksop Newton and Yorkshire Aromatic.

Clumber’s Head Gardener said each of the varieties are not grown commercially and most are not available to amateur gardeners, meaning the estate’s focus on their conservation ensures that they are not “lost to cultivation”.

Mr Margrave added: “These old and regional varieties have tremendous historic interest. They are just as much a part of England’s treasure store as Drake and the Armada, a Lennon and McCartney song or the sounding of the final whistle at Wembley on July 30, 1966.

“Each variety brings with it its own stories, not just the obvious ones about how and what people ate, fascinating though these are, but also how communities worked and lived.”

For more details about the festival call 01909 544917.

From: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/around-yorkshire/local-stories/taste_of_past_as_estate_garden_reveals_apple_treasure_trove_1_3864494

News - £5m country house raiding spree exposed (Tankersley)

FOURTEEN antiques of ‘significant, cultural and historic value’ have been recovered and two men arrested in connection with three high-profile country house thefts in 2009.

Items with a headline valuation of £5m recovered from premises in South and West Yorkshire included those from two break-ins which attracted international attention two years ago – those on Newby Hall near Ripon and Firle Place in Sussex.

More than 30 officers from three Yorkshire police forces worked on the case for over a year. The Yorkshire and Humber Regional Intelligence and Special Operations Units received the initial intelligence, which was then worked up further following a lengthy period of surveillance that led them to a run-down caravan and neighbouring lock-up garage in the quiet Yorkshire village of Tankersley.

The culmination of an investigation carried out with support from West Yorkshire Police and officers from the Regional Roads Crime Team, North Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Police was the raid on two residential premises on Thursday, September 22.

Two arrests were made. Police are questioning a 68-year-old man from Tankersley and a 44-year-old man from the Leeds suburb of Middleton. Police suspect links to the illegal drugs trade.

The haul included a George III rosewood Pembroke table supplied to Newby Hall by Thomas Chippendale in 1775 but stolen in June 2009. Stored beside it was the porcelain stolen in a daring raid on Firle Place, near Lewes in Sussex in July 2009: a pair of Louis XVI ormolu and Sèvres bleu vases with an insurance value of £950,000; the c.1740 Meissen group The Indiscreet Harlequin and a Sèvres Hollandois Nouveau vase from 1761, valued at £180,000 each.

In March this year Geoffrey Harkin, 58, from Wakefield, a career thief who used his membership of the National Trust to 'case' the properties he stole from, was jailed for nine years for a series of country house thefts including that at Firle, a £27,000 raid on Longnor Hall in Shropshire and the attempted sale of a £200,000 table clock by Thomas Tompion stolen from Levens Hall, near Kendal in Cumbria, in September 2009.

Harkin is understood to have passed on some of the items to Gary Swindell, 58, of Bradford, who was given a three-year sentence for handling stolen goods – some of which were sold at a car boot fair in York – but he refused to co-operate over the whereabouts of any of the stolen goods. However, by then a wider investigation was underway.

Nine other items were recovered in Tankersley, including a Daniel Delander bracket clock c.1710, stolen from Sion Hill Hall in Northallerton in February 2009.

Detective Superintendent Steve Waite, head of regional intelligence for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: "We will now begin the formal process of identification and will eventually be in a position to reunite the pieces with their owners.

"A couple of items had suffered minor damage during the ordeal, but this demonstrates that those involved in the thefts were not in it for their love of antiques. In fact, recent trends indicate these types of high-value items are being used by organised crime groups as currency or collateral in relation to serious criminality, often involving drugs."

Items recovered represent a fraction of the antiques stolen in 21 country house thefts across England since 2007.

From: http://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/8033.aspx

News - Mansion project opens up a vista of Yorkshire (Wentworth)

At MORE than 120ft in the air, a breathtaking panorama of Yorkshire countryside, taking in rolling fields, rural villages, a country house and one of England’s biggest cities, stretches out for as far as the eye can see.

At one time, the view would have been seen from the top of a folly called Keppel’s Column, but because it has fallen into disrepair, a cherry-picker crane was required yesterday to recreate the impressive vista.

The machine was hired by Clifford Newbold, who owns nearby Wentworth Woodhouse, and his son Giles as part of their vision to restore and revive the house and park which was originally the home of the Fitzwilliam family.

The column, which is now the responsibility of Rotherham Council, once formed part of the estate, and Giles Newbold said it offered a “unique viewpoint” from which to document the landscape and understand how Wentworth was designed.

Mr Newbold and his father bought the crumbling house and parkland for just £1.5m in 1999, but have since spent tens of millions of pound researching its history and carrying out structural and engineering surveys to ascertain its condition.

The huge mansion, which is said to have 365 rooms, one for every day of the year, has had a chequered history since the Fitzwilliam family left in the 1950s, the National Coal Board opencasting the site for several years.

At present, the Newbold family are making a claim against the Coal Authority, which is now responsible for the after-effects of mining, and are arguing that both the opencast operations, and deep mining have affected the house.

Mr Newbold said the family had worked tirelessly in the last 12 years on the coal claim and on other plans to try and save Wentworth Woodhouse from complete dereliction, but added that it had required much work behind the scenes.

Now they have the support of English Heritage, and blueprints are being drawn up which could see the Grade-I listed house and its equally impressive stables and other buildings turned to a new modern use as offices and a luxury hotel.

Mr Newbold, a 36-year-old building surveyor said he, his 85-year-old father, an eminent London architect before his retirement, and his two brothers, were “absolutely committed” to ensuring that the estate had a “sustainable future”.

He added: “Over the last 10 years we have done a lot of research into the history of the estate but one thing we could not find were any pictures of it from the top of Keppel’s Column. So we hired the cherry-picker to see the view.

“Looking at the house and park from this angle allows us to see what survives of the original landscape and how the stripping out of the estate by the coal board, which went within a few feet of the house and 1,000 ft down, affected it.

“Being able to document the landscape will also help us to make an argument for the parkland and make sure it is protected in the same way as it is at country houses like Chatsworth and Castle Howard.

“There has been a school of thought that Wentworth isn’t worth saving, and charities like the National Trust would never have taken it on. But my father saw that it was worth saving and if it was lost it would be lost forever.

“The rest of the world absolutely craves our heritage and there is now a huge amount of interest in Wentworth Woodhouse, and we aim to ensure that it survives for centuries to come.”

The proposal for the mansion house is to create a combination of publicly accessible restored museum to the central and grandest rooms, as well as a 70 suite luxury hotel and spa.

A Rotherham Council spokesman said yesterday morning’s event had been carried out in partnership with the Newbold family and allowed the authority’s officers to carry out a visual survey of Keppel’s Column and check its condition.

The spokesman said: “The survey was part of the authority’s ongoing care and maintenance of a number of heritage sites across the borough. It was a visual inspection and the findings will be reported back to members in due course.

“The operation also allowed the Mayor and Mayoress of Rotherham, Shaun and Lisa Wright, to take in some of the best views across Rotherham.”

From: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/around-yorkshire/local-stories/mansion_project_opens_up_a_vista_of_yorkshire_1_3714583

News - Bringing Southwell Workhouse history to life

Through a joint venture between The National Trust and The University of Nottingham, the stories of those who lived and worked at The Workhouse, Southwell are being brought to life. Leading this new research collaboration is Dr Paul Carter, currently based at the National Archives in London, who has been appointed to the new post of part-time research fellow.

During the first half of the nineteenth century the way in which assistance was given to the poor changed dramatically as government sought to cut poor relief funding. Nottinghamshire was at the forefront of new developments and local man Reverend JT Becher’s Workhouse, built in 1824, became the blueprint for hundreds of other institutions around the country.

After more than ten years of painstaking archival research by volunteers at The Workhouse, which has unearthed amazing stories of resilience and fortitude, the project is moving into a new phase. With Dr Carter’s help it is hoped to further develop a portfolio of historical studies of inmates and staff giving a snap shot of the daily routine for individuals from cradle to grave. ‘This kind of project opens the lid on Victorian England and looks into the dark corners of poverty, illness and unemployment commonplace for many in the nineteenth century,’ says Dr Carter. ‘I am delighted to be working alongside volunteers at The Workhouse who have already contributed so much to our understanding of the institution and its broader social context’.

Largely thanks to Workhouse volunteers’ efforts the public can now access all correspondence between The Workhouse and the Poor Law bodies up to 1901 which is available on The National Archive’s web site (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk). As part of this project and future collaboration, it is hoped that access to further sources of information will be made easier for people undertaking their own research.

This new research will be instrumental in transforming visitor experience as The Workhouse enters its second decade under National Trust custodianship. ‘We hope people will be able to reflect, feel and make connections with the building, its records and artefacts but most importantly its people, says property manager Rachel Harrison, ‘at times this may be challenging, emotive and thought provoking, at others amusing, uplifting and surprising.’

 

From: http://www.chad.co.uk/lifestyle/bringing_southwell_workhouse_history_to_life_1_3666247

News - Archives aim to bring past to life (Southwell Workshouse)

The stories of those who lived and worked in Southwell Workhouse are being brought to life by new research.

The National Trust, which owns the workhouse, is working with Nottingham University to find out more about the building’s occupants.

Dr Paul Carter, currently based at the National Archives in London, who has been appointed to the new post of part-time research fellow at the university, is working on the project.

Volunteers at the workhouse have spent ten years scouring records and have unearthed stories of its occupants.

With Dr Carter’s help, it is hoped to develop a portfolio of historical studies of inmates and staff, giving a snapshot of the daily routine for individuals, from cradle to grave.

“This kind of project opens the lid on Victorian England and looks into the dark corners of poverty, illness and unemployment commonplace for many in the 19th Century,” Dr Carter said.

“I am delighted to be working alongside volunteers at the workhouse who have already contributed so much to our understanding of the institution and its broader social context.”

The workhouse’s property manager, Rachel Harris, said she hoped the research would be instrumental in transforming visitor experience as the Workhouse entered its second decade under National Trust custodianship.

She said: “We hope people will be able to reflect, feel and make connections with the building, its records and artefacts, but most importantly its people.

“At times this may be challenging, emotive and thought-provoking, at others amusing, uplifting and surprising.”

All the correspondence between the workhouse and the Poor Law bodies up to 1901 has been archived online and can be viewed on The National Archive’s website www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Archives-aim-to-bring-past-to-life

News - Outrage as decision to close Newstead Abbey is rubberstamped

IT’S OFFICIAL, the doors to the Dispatch district’s most prized tourist attraction, Newstead Abbey, are to be closed to the public and visitors from around the world for most of the year.

For highly contentious plans to shut the ancestral home of the poet Lord Byron as part of cost-cutting measures have been rubberstamped by owner Nottingham City Council.

This is despite outrage at the move from the Newstead Abbey Byron Society (NABS) and fans of the imposing building from around the globe.

The proposals were given the green light when the council’s budget was voted through at a meeting last week. However the gardens will remain open throughout the year.

Despite the abbey having been presented to the people of Nottinghamshire, the council will only open the house on certain Sunday afternoons, Bank Holidays and for guided tours. The changes will come into force on Friday April 1.

As part of the decision, several staff-members will lose their jobs.

One of those, Bette Abbott, has labelled the closure plan a ‘great disservice and injustice’.

There are also concerns the move will open the abbey to vandalism and it may fall into disrepair.

Hucknall’s Conservative MP, Mark Spencer, has called on Notts County Council to get involved in running the abbey. He said it was vital for some organisation to take over the building.

The chairman of NABS, Ken Purslow, said he had sent letters to the council with 70 ‘international names’ on them, as well as 126 other letters supplied to him by Hucknall Tourism and Regeneration Group — all objecting to the proposals.

Opposition has come from the whole board of trustees of the American Byron Society and MONKS (Members Of Newstead Kindred Spirits), who had acted previously acted as guides in the summer.

“I am very disappointed to say I have received no reply from the city council to any of this correspondence,” said Mr Purslow.

He lambasted the decision as “pathetic” and claimed the council did not give the same value to the abbey as it did to Wollaton Hall and Nottingham Castle, which it also owns.

The abbey was given to the city council’s forerunner, Nottingham Corporation, by benefactor and businessman Sir Julien Cahn in 1931.

His grand-daughter was among those who called for the council to reconsider its plans.

Coun Dave Trimble (Lab), the city council’s lead member for leisure, culture and customers, this week chose to focus on the fact that the abbey’s grounds will not be closed, labelling them the estate’s “most popular feature”.

On the changes to opening of the house, he said: “The new opening times should halve the £600,000 a year costs of maintaining Newstead Abbey and park, which is actually based in the county of Nottinghamshire.

“It should ensure this important heritage site is run in a more sustainable way as the city council seeks to balance its budget and create sustainable savings in this very difficult economic climate. We need to balance the need for city and household services and vital services for children and vulnerable adults with sustaining all our culture and leisure services and our internationally important heritage sites.

“The abbey itself has relatively few visitors compared to the grounds.”

He continued: “The abbey will continue to open for guided tours on public holidays and for special events such as the annual Heritage Open Days. School parties will continue to be welcomed for pre-booked educational activities and the site will remain available for weddings, corporate hospitality and other activities that have become part of Newstead’s annual calendar.

“The collections relating to Lord Byron and the history of the abbey will remain on display without any change. Overall our aim is to improve the visitor experience.”

The city council remains open to discussions on how best to continue to manage the house in the longer term, and is willing to talk to other partners or operators about preserving the site.

A consultation on job-losses is currently under way with affected staff and trade unions.

“Every effort is being made to re-deploy staff where possible and minimise job losses as result of the changes needing to be made,” added Coun Trimble.

“We are exploring other options with other organisations including the National Trust and English Heritage to see under what circumstances they could assist with the management of Newstead Abbey.

“Our priority ihas always been to protect the Byron legacy. We have always adhered to the covenant between the city and former owner, Sir Julien Cahn, and will continue to do this in all our discussions. These current proposals have been shared with Sir Julien Cahn’s grand-daughter.”

From: http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/news/local-news/outrage_as_decision_to_close_newstead_abbey_is_rubberstamped_1_3196729