News - Castle project is up for prize (Wentworth Castle)

THE restoration of a stately home in South Yorkshire has been nominated for an award which recognises the country’s best heritage projects.

Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park, near Barnsley, has made the finals in the National Lottery Awards.

The stately home’s restoration has just finished its first phase, and has been voted through to the finals in the Best Heritage Project category.

Claire Herring, director of the Wentworth Castle trust, said she was ‘delighted’ by the accolade.

She said: “It’s a wonderful achievement for everyone who has helped us to become a real jewel in Barnsley’s crown.”

The winners are decided by the public, and voting takes place until September 26.

Visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards/best-heritage-project/138/ to vote for Wentworth.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/barnsley/castle_project_is_up_for_prize_1_3748742

Event - National recognition for work at key Barnsley landmark (Wentworth Castle)

A PROJECT to restore prominent South Yorkshire gardens has reached the final of a national competition to find the UK’s best Lottery-funded heritage scheme.

Over the last nine years £17 million has been spent on Wentworth Castle near Barnsley, with funding coming from a variety of sources including the Lottery.

The money has enabled a number of historic buildings and monuments to be restored on site including Stainborough Castle, Wentworth Castle, the Corinthian Temple, the Sun Monument, the Gun Room and Duke of the Argyll’s Monument, the North Ha Ha.

The most recent restoration was the Rotunda while the 60- acre pleasure gardens have also been restored including the Union Jack Gardens.

The national collections of rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias have also been enhanced while around 35,000 trees have been planted in Stainborough Park.

Steve Garland, interim heritage director, said: “I am delighted to hear that the Phase 1 restoration of Wentworth Castle Gardens has been voted through to the finals of the 2011 National Lottery Awards. It is a wonderful achievement for everyone who has helped us to become a real jewel in Barnsley’s crown.

“The Lottery funding has enabled us to bring the estate back to life and growing numbers of visitors are enjoying it every year.”

A lecture on the work is to be held at 2pm next Thursday, in St James’ Hall at Wentworth Castle Gardens.

The talk will be given by the estate manager of Wentworth Castle Trust Dr Michael Klemperer, and will give an insight into the landscape history of the site, how the site looks now and how the current developments reflect the area’s history.

From http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/national_recognition_for_work_at_key_barnsley_landmark_1_3507289

News - Wentworth Castle in National Lottery Awards vote appeal

A stately home and gardens in South Yorkshire is hoping to be voted into the finals of a national award.

Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park has been short-listed in the semi-finals of The National Lottery Awards in the Best Heritage Project category.

The awards, which are voted for by the public, have been set up to recognise various projects across the country.

The 18th century estate was opened to the public when a trust was created in 2002 to rescue the crumbling building.

The Wentworth Castle Trust - which has over 200 volunteers - has seen various phases of restoration, including the Rotunda which is an outdoor imitation of an ancient temple and built in the mid-1700s.

Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park, which has 26 listed buildings, gardens and 600 acres of parkland within the estate has so far received £10,595,144 of lottery funding from Heritage Lottery Fund.

'Support us'

Vicky Martin, Director of Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park, said: "We're delighted to have reached the semi-finals of The National Lottery Awards for Phase One of our programme restoration.

"Lottery money has really helped us to provide public access to this 18th-century estate for the first time.

"It's easy to vote, so we're hoping people support us, as it would be a fantastic reward for everyone involved in the project to receive national recognition for their hard work."

There are seven categories in the awards, each reflecting the main areas of lottery funding: Arts, sport, heritage, health, environment, education and voluntary/charity.

The winning project from each of the categories will receive national recognition at an event later this year, broadcast on BBC One, as well as £2,000 to spend on their project.

The three projects with the most votes in each category will go through to the final round of public voting.

The public can vote on the The National Lottery Awards website. Voting ends at noon on 20 June.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-13613820