News - Wentworth Castle conservatory restoration wins European cash

Work can now begin to restore the conservatory at Wentworth Castle, Barnsley, after it won £820,000 from the European Regional Development Fund.

Michael Klemperer, Wentworth estate manager, said the conservatory could now be taken apart and fully restored.

"It is fantastic not only for Barnsley but for the whole country," he said.

'Barnsley's Crystal Palace'

Wentworth Castle, which is Grade I listed, came third in the BBC TV programme Restoration in 2003 after receiving 130,000 votes.

The series asked viewers to choose which historic British building they wanted restored.

Mr Klemperer said the European Regional Development Fund award to save the Grade II listed conservatory was "really exciting".

"It has sat unused for many years and we have been desperate to restore it, but we've never quite had the money," he said.

"This is the last great conservatory in this country which hasn't been restored, and now it can be."

"It's Barnsley's very own Crystal Palace."

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-16023733

Photos - Worksop Manor Lodge Restoration

Looking North: The new windows look beautiful.  I'm not sure what the new ones are made from.  They certainly beat the draughty metal ones which were on the top storey.

Looking east: The building has been re-pointed and cleaned making the Elizabeth stonework shine once again.

Looking south: The new slate roof can clearly be seen from this angle.  Its good to see the building without the metal work which has protected it for the past several years.  Also note the new chimney to the left and the new roof light (much better than the wooden board which was in place when we had our history meetings there).

News - Planning approval granted for Wentworth glasshouse

Planning approval has been granted for the restoration of a Victorian glasshouse at Wentworth Castle, near Barnsley.

 

The glasshouse which was built by Thomas Wentworth in 1877 has remained derelict for a number of years awaiting planning permission and funding. 

On Thursday the project took a step closer to being refurbished. 

The team at Wentworth Castle have submitted a bid of £3.5m to the Heritage Lottery Fund which is due to be decided in May.

The project also relies on match funding from other institutions, such as English Heritage. 

The restoration project which will cost £3.7m has already raised £18,000 from fundraising, which has included asking people to sponsor panes of glass in the conservatory.

Neil Charlton one of the architects working on the project said, "The building is being entirely supported by scaffolding at the moment. The conservatory will need to be dismantled. Many of the elements need to be replaced using the same techniques from when the building was originally constructed in the 18th Century." 

The restoration project will include a combination of new and old items being restored. The majority of the glass will be replaced by imported hand-cut glass panes. The conservatories structure of cast and wrought iron will be restored and reused where possible. 

Neil tasked will the difficult job of piecing it together said, "It's like a giant Meccano set. Some pieces are beyond repair, others can be kept and re-used." 

The Wentworth Estate has spent over £17m already on the 500 acre site, since starting renovation work began in 2004, focusing its attention on renovating areas, from gardens, parkland and woodland through to the restoration of a Grade I listed circular outbuilding called the Rotunda in September 2010.

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/sheffield/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9428000/9428022.stm