Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire, UK - Historic house and gardens, Ancestral home of Poet Lord Byron

Historical House and Gardens - Ancestral Home of Poet Lord Byron

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The Newstead Abbey West Front Appeal

Newstead Abbey, internationally known as the ancestral home of the Romantic poet, Lord Byron, is in need of funds to conserve and repair the magnificent West Front of the Priory, dating from 1274.

The priory was incorporated into Newstead when it became a country house in the sixteenth century.

Since then, the West Front, with its exquisite carvings of birds, animals and foliage, crowned by a statue of the Virgin, has come to be a powerful visual symbol of Newstead, and an internationally significant icon of the Romantic movement, uniquely important because of its strong associations with Byron's life and work.

Carvings on the West Front

Today, this icon is at risk: English Heritage placed the West Front on its Buildings at Risk register in 1998, indicating the level of concern over this scheduled monument.

The effects of time, weather and pollution are causing considerable, and cumulative, damage to the wall. A programme of conservation and repair work is urgently required to ensure that the West Front remains a Nottinghamshire landmark for generations to come.

What needs to be done?

Immediately we need to:

prevent water penetrating the Front and damaging its core and carvings
conserve and repair sections of the eroded masonry
trial repair techniques for later stages

Within five years we must:

examine the facade for any minute traces of medieval painting
repair and conserve the delicate carvings and statues
conserve and repair eroded masonry

Within ten years we have to:

repair and conserve entrance steps to the West Front

What has been done so far?

We have undertaken:

research in close consultation with English heritage
a photogrammetric survey of the West Front by English heritage

and spent:

£6,000 in expert advice and materials from English Heritage
£2,500 towards the photogrammetric survey from Nottingham City Council
£17,468 from Nottingham City Council on an expert condition and photographic survey of the West Front to identify and prioritise the work required

What happens if the work is not done?

deterioration will continue
water penetration will destabilise the wall
carvings will become indecipherable
a largely untouched thirteenth-century monument will be lost

What will it cost?

£220,000 for immediate work, the cost to include the design and erection of a suitable specialist scaffolding
£850,000 for phase two work to be done within five years
£38,000 for phase three work to be done within ten years
£A total of £1,108,000 over ten years

Where will the money come from?

An application to English Heritage by Nottinghamshire County Council could result in grant aid, but funds are in great demand, nothing is guaranteed and no more than 40% of the cost can be covered
Our own fundraising efforts

The West Front needs your help

£5 to £50,000: all donations are welcome.
All donors will be given recognition.
Additional benefits for high-level donors.
Rolling donations from businesses are welcome.
You can view a list of our sponsors and our donors.

For further details, please contact:

Gillian Crawley, General Manager
Newstead Abbey Historic House and Gardens
Newstead Abbey Park
Nottingham
NG15 8NA
Tel: 01623 455 912

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