Wentworth Woodhouse is to be purchased by Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT), under a £7 million acquisition plan as lead rescue body SAVE announces that ‘Agreement has been reached on the purchase of one of the finest houses in Britain.’
SAVE writes:
SAVE is delighted to announce that agreement has been reached with the Newbold family on the purchase of one of the finest and grandest historic houses in Britain, Wentworth Woodhouse.
The property will be purchased by the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT) and will continue to be open to the public. The public opening of the property will be supported by the National Trust for the first five years. It is hoped completion of the sale will take place within two to three months.
The £7m pledged for the acquisition includes a £3.575m grant offer from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, and grants from the Monument Trust, the Art Fund, Sir Siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary Settlement and the John Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust. Pledges and donations have also been received from many individual members of the public. SAVE and the trustees of the WWPT extend their warmest thanks for all pledges and support received.
The long term strategy is for the public to visit and enjoy all the most interesting parts of the property while restoring the others for revenue-earning uses such as events and holiday lets with business units in the stables. Traditionally a historic house of this size would have required a vast endowment. This business model will provide a substantial income stream intended to cover both running costs and periodic bouts of repair.
Extensive repairs will be phased over 10 to 15 years allowing time for funds to be raised and the work to be carried out in phases while the property is opened to the public.
The Trust will build on the pioneering work of the Newbold family in opening the house to pre-booked visitors for the first time on a regular basis. An annual Clifford Newbold lecture will be held to mark the work of the Newbold family in opening the house to the public.
The trustees of the new WWPT are: The Duke of Devonshire, Lady Juliet Tadgell, Sir Philip Naylor-Leyland, Julie Kenny (Chair), Timothy Cooke, Martin Drury, and Merlin Waterson.
View the press release
See also www.savewentworth.co.uk
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