News - Glasshouse to be restored (Wentworth Castle)

A CONTRACT to restore the fragile Victorian conservatory at Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park in Barnsley has been awarded to Shepley Engineers which has workshops in Shafton.

The restoration of the conservatory is the culmination of 10 years of fundraising and is supported by £2.5m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Dismantling work is expected to begin towards the end of August before the iron structure is taken off site to the Shafton workshop for eight months of restoration work.


From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/glasshouse-to-be-restored-1-4686601

News - Bid to preserve historic furnace (Wentworth)

VOLUNTEERS from a South Yorkshire history society have carried out a survey of a 300-year-old furnace and engine house as part of a project to rescue the historic structures.


South Yorkshire Industrial History Society is trying to save the Rockley complex on Wentworth Castle estate, Barnsley, one of the few early survivors from the county’s industrial revolution.

Now the society is set to announce its findings and plans for the site.

Society president Margaret Tylee said: “The last two harsh winters have taken their toll on the furnace and engine house.

“We have carried out the first comprehensive surveys of the site and its structures in order to understand them better and to find the best way to preserve them for the future.

“Lots of people visit the castle on the Wentworth estate and we’d love them to stop by and see the industrial heritage nearby which represents such an important part of South Yorkshire’s history.”

English Heritage has been working closely with the project, advising the society on the conservation of the two scheduled monuments.

The furnace was built between 1698 and 1704 to smelt local iron ore, while the engine house dates from 1813 and housed a pump to drain the mine nearby.

Volunteers are aiming to repair the monuments to save them for future generations.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/community/green-scene/bid-to-preserve-historic-furnace-1-4560643

Events - South Yorkshire Industrial History Society Summer Programme 2012

Events marked * are Society/Trust events. A selection of events from the Environment Weeks programme etc has also been included. Some are organised by our members, and some by affiliated/sister organizations.

Please note that for many of the walks you will need stout shoes, waterproofs and a packed lunch (we will be away from easy access to pubs/cafes in some cases). Contact names will be able to provide you with more details of access by bus and train. These details are included in the Environment Weeks brochures where appropriate. Contact details are given for each event.

Wednesday 9 May 6.30-8.30 pm: Victorian Society walk round Sheffield’s Victorian city centre, led by Valerie Bayliss. Meet at front steps of Town Hall, Pinstone Street. An Environment Weeks event. Contact: Valerie Bayliss 2307693

Wednesday 9th May 13:30-16:30 (approx) and on Friday 27th May 19:00-21:30 (approx) Kelham’s Riverside – a walk through the past and the future. Kelham Island and environs. Organised by SIMT/Upper Don Walk Trust. Meet at Kelham Island Museum Car Park. Contact: Robin Fielder 2580575

Friday 11th May 13:30-16:30 (approx). Kelham Island to Oughtibridge. Details as for 9th May. Return bus from Oughtibridge. Contact: Tony Canning 2348338

*Thursday 17th May 18:30-20:00 Rockley Furnace Survey Launch. St James’ Hall, Wentworth Castle, Stainborough, S75 3EN. ArcHeritage will present the results of their survey and archaeological and historical assessment. Contact: Tegwen Roberts 01226 767365 or tegwen@epip.org.uk to book a place

*Saturday 19th May 10:30 – 15:30 (approx.) Industrial History along the Upper River Sheaf. Leisurely all day walk of about 4miles (6km) to the Cross Scythes at Totley. Bring a packed lunch and stout shoes. Meet at the Millhouses Park café SK333 828. Contact: Graham Hague 2686729 or Christine Ball 2361471


*Monday 21st May 19:30-21:00 Coal mines of Buxton. Alan Roberts. Last lecture of the season at Kelham Island Museum. £2 admission charge for non-members. Contact: Christine Ball 2361471

Wednesday 23 May 6.30-8.30 pm. Victorian Society walk round the St Vincent’s Quarter, led by Graham Hague, looking at the surviving buildings of St Vincent’s Church and its schools, old workshops and other buildings. Meet in Paradise Square. Contact: Valerie Bayliss 2307693

Sunday 27th May 10:00-16:00 Water Power Walk. From Kelham Island (by the wheel pit) to Jordan Dam (Meadowhall). Organised by Sheffield Renewables to look at their two proposed sites for water power generation. Return by tram from Meadowhall/Tinsley South. Contact: Jean Tinsley 2508367

*Sunday 15th July Hoylandswaine Nail Forge. 11.00-16-00 Open day for the CBA Festival of British Archaeology. An opportunity to see the roof repairs and improvements. No charge, but donations welcome. Contact: Derek Bayliss 2307693

*Saturday 21 July 2.00 pm. SYIHS visit to Elsecar, led by Graham Hague and a guide from Barnsley Museums. Parking in the free car park off Wentworth Road, opposite Elsecar Park. Meet outside main gate of the Workshops in Wath Road. This is the second of our events to mark the 300th anniversary this year of Newcomen’s first atmospheric engine, and we hope to see the Elsecar Newcomen engine before work begins on its conservation. Then we shall look round the Workshops, and Graham will lead a walk round the village. No charge, but please book with Derek Bayliss (tel. 230 7693) by 7 July.

*Sunday 2nd September 11:00 -17:00 Model Engineers’ Open Day at Wortley Top Forge. Railways, refreshments, and the Forge! Visiting engines on the railway. More volunteers always needed.Contact Gordon Parkinson 2817991 or Ted Young 01226 763896

*Saturday 8th September. 11:00-16:00. Wortley Top Forge, Heritage Open Day. Free admission on this day, but donations welcome. Contact: Derek Bayliss 2307693

*Friday 7th (evening) and Sunday 11th September. 11:00-16:00. Hoylandswaine Nail Forge, Heritage Open Day. Free Admission, but donations welcome.Contact: Derek Bayliss 2307693

*Saturday 20th October Rotherham Heritage Fair [advance announcement]. In All Saints Minster Church. The Society will probably be having a stall; offers of help very welcome. Contact: Christine Ball 2361471 or Derek Bayliss 2307693

*Saturday 24th November South Yorkshire Archaeology Day [advance notice only]. At the Showroom. The Society will probably be having a stall as usual. Contact: Christine Ball 2361471

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

TV - Lottery projects in the running (Wentworth)

TWO South Yorkshire lottery projects are waiting to hear whether they have been successful in winning national awards.

Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park Trust, near Barnsley, and Altogether Better in Sheffield, who have both benefited from lottery funding, will find out if they are winners in a live show to be screened on BBC One on Saturday, November 5.

Altogether Better used lottery funding to train and support people in Sheffield to help others improve their health and well-being.

Wentworth Castle was rescued from ruin through a Lottery-funded programme of restoration.

The winning projects in each of seven awards categories will be announced on TV and each winner will receive a £2,000 cash prize.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/lottery_projects_in_the_running_1_3917757

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/Course - Ha-Ha happy to help (Wentworth)

IT may be called the Ha-Ha wall – but restoring this historic feature on a South Yorkshire estate is no laughing matter!

Volunteers are being trained in the intricate art of dry stone wall building to repair the East Ha-Ha at Wentworth Castle at Stainborough, Barnsley.

The wall, which is set into a trench, was created in the mid-18th century to allow uninterrupted views of Wentworth’s landscape while at the same time preventing grazing animals straying onto the ornamental gardens from nearby parkland.

Over the last 30 years the feature has gradually crumbled and now needs significant restoration work to bring it back to its former state.

The project has been set up by Wentworth Castle Heritage Trust, Steel Valley Project and the Yorkshire Dry Stone Walling Academy, with help from the East Peak Innovation Partnership.

Walling instructors from the academy have trained 12 conservation volunteers and staff before they set about rebuilding the structure.

On Saturday, October 8 a free all-day session is being led by trainers from the academy, giving beginners an introduction to building dry stone walls.

For more information or to book a place call Kate Hughes at the Steel Valley Project on 0114 2830880.

A lecture is also taking place next Saturday to discuss the estate’s Blackamoor garden statue, which was restored last year.

The talk, titled The Wentworth Blackamoor and the War of the Spanish Succession, will be led by Wentworth Castle Trust trustee Dr Patrick Eyres.

Dr Eyres will give an insight into the statue, installed at the gardens in around 1720 as a monument to Thomas Wentworth’s achievement in bringing about the Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the Spanish war.

The talk starts at 2pm and will be rounded off with a traditional cream tea.

To book visit www.wentworthcastle.org or telephone 01226 776040.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/community/green-scene/ha_ha_happy_to_help_1_3706122

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 - New historic house director to oversee £2.5m restoration (Wentworth Castle)

TRUSTEES who run a popular attraction near Barnsley have announced the appointment of a new director who will oversee an ambitious plan to restore a Victorian glasshouse.

Claire Herring, who was previously property manager at the National Trust’s Clumber Park, near Worksop, has now taken charge at Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park, near Barnsley.

Her appointment comes shortly after the attraction secured just under £2.5m of Heritage Lottery Funding towards the cost of restoring Wentworth Castle’s conservatory.

She said: ”I am thrilled to be joining the team at Wentworth Castle at this key moment in the estate’s development.

“In the coming months the new funding will allow us to start realising this long-planned restoration project. I am also looking forward to welcoming our summer visitors and discovering the many qualities that make Wentworth Castle Gardens such a special place.”

John Edwards, chairman of the Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park Trust, said there had been a big response when the job was advertised.

He added: “The attraction of the site is clear, pulling in such a strong field of candidates. Claire impressed us with her knowledge and we are delighted to welcome her to Wentworth.”

From: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/around-yorkshire/local-stories/new_historic_house_director_to_oversee_2_5m_restoration_1_3482392

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

News - Funding of £11m for UK heritage projects (Wentworth Castle)

A World War II submarine, a bridge, a seaside pier, a castle conservatory and a cathedral are to share £11m of funding for heritage projects.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grants will allow the sites to undertake restoration and repair work, and make them more accessible to visitors.

The Transporter Bridge, Middlesbrough's most famous landmark, is getting £2.6m.

The Grade II listed bridge will get new lifts and a gondola to allow the public to see the view from the top.

Guided tours and educational activities for schools will also be provided on the bridge, which links Middlesbrough and Port Clarence.

Designer Kevin McCloud said the bridge was an "extraordinary example of engineering".

Mr McCloud, presenter of Channel 4's Grand Designs, said: "The bridge also demonstrates the very British enthusiasm for practical problem-solving."

Another major beneficiary is the HMS Alliance, the last surviving World War II A class submarine, which is housed at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport, Hampshire.

HMS Alliance will get £3.4m to repair its bow and stern and address extensive corrosion on its surface.

The money will also provide new facilities for visitors to the museum.

Wakefield Cathedral will benefit to to the tune of £1.58m, which will allow the Grade I listed building to get better lighting, flooring, heating and access.

Penarth Pier Pavilion in Vale of Glamorgan will get £1.65m for restoration of the building.

Wentworth Castle conservatory in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, has been awarded £2.4m.

The Grade II* listed building is one of the last surviving Victorian winter gardens in the country.

HLF chief executive Carole Souter said: "Our £11m investment will help transform these five unique heritage sites, ensuring they will still be around for everyone's enjoyment for many years to come." 

The HLF said it was also giving a tentative approval to projects to restore Hoxton Hall in Hackney, east London and Middleport pottery in Stoke-on-Trent.

It is also considering a grant to transform Palace House and Stables in Newmarket into a horseracing heritage centre.

Seventeen Classic winners were trained at Palace House between 1837 and 1926. In its heyday in the late 19th century, Palace House was the largest training establishment in Newmarket.

However, a £2.9m bid towards building a museum at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, to house the last Concorde aircraft to fly has been turned down.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13591613

TV - Country house rivalry to be revealed in TV documentary (Wentworth)

THE history of two country houses at the centre of a family disagreement in the 18th century is to be told on television later this month.



Historian and television presenter Dan Cruickshank will examine the stories of both Wentworth Castle, near Barnsley, and Wentworth Woodhouse, near Rotherham.


His programme The Country House Revealed, was filmed in December 2010 over 11-days at both locations, although Wentworth Woodhouse is not open to the public.


More than three centuries ago Wentworth Castle and Wentworth Woodhouse were at the centre of family feud.


The Earl of Strafford, Thomas Wentworth, purchased Stainborough Hall – now Wentworth Castle – in 1708 for £14,500.


By 1709, he had embarked on an ambitious programme of enhancement in a bid to outshine his cousin Thomas Watson-Wentworth, who had inherited the Wentworth Woodhouse family seat.


Wentworth Castle Gardens trustee Patrick Eyres helped the BBC with its research on the two estates and said he was looking forwar to the BBC2 broadcast.


He added: “The Wentworth Castle estate in Barnsley was considered to be one of the most important estates during the 18th century.


“Today visitors can enjoy 26 listed buildings, follies and monuments – a fine testament to Wentworth in its heyday.”


The programme will be screened on BBC2 at 9pm on Tuesday, May 31. For further information on Wentworth Castle visit www.wentworthcastle.org

From: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/around-yorkshire/local-stories/country_house_rivalry_to_be_revealed_in_tv_documentary_1_3383130

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