Major refurbishment to take place after award of lottery funding
A grant of over £3million has been given by the National Lottery for the restoration of Boston Manor House. The funding is a result of a successful second stage bid application by Hounslow Council.
The restoration project works will mean the closure of the house to the public for two years starting in early 2019, with the house due to reopen in spring 2021.
The heritage restoration project entitled ‘Boston Manor: Engaging with the 21st Century’, aims to fully restore the Grade I listed Boston Manor House, currently on the ‘Heritage at Risk’ Register, to its former glory. The works will include structural and building repairs and the installation of a lift to improve accessibility to all parts of the house.
Additionally, the Temple Trust, a landscape history charity, proposes to open its first ever public premises - an office and research facility - in the Service Wing of the House from 2021.
Visitors to Boston Manor House will have an improved experience through better resources and displays depicting stories of the manor house and the people who passed through it over its 400-year history. A dedicated temporary exhibition space will ensure that there’s always something new for visitors to see, along with the addition of a new café and shop area.
Boston Manor House, in Brentford, is a Grade I Listed, Jacobean manor-house with its oldest parts dating back to 1623 when it was built for Lady Mary Reade and her second husband Sir Edward Spencer. The house is one of the earliest examples of the English Renaissance style.
Through the £3,734,200 grant Heritate Lottery Fund is also supporting an educational and activity programme, due to start in the community while the house is being restored. There will be new activity programmes for families and opportunities for more volunteers to get involved in the project and running of the house.
The house and grounds were bought by the local council in the 1920s and for a time the house was used as a school. Some of the rooms were previously restored and have been open to the public seasonally since the 1960s.
Councillor Steve Curran, Leader of London Borough of Hounslow, said, “This is tremendous news for Hounslow and Brentford residents, as well as the many users of Boston Manor Park. The restoration will make sure this hidden gem in Hounslow is made safe for the future and enjoyed fully by generations to come. We’re delighted that we’ve received this support thanks to National Lottery players.”
Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund said, “I am thrilled Boston Manor has been awarded £3.7m National Lottery funding. Heritage makes a huge difference to people and the places they live. It will be exciting to see how this fantastic project progresses and the positive effect it has on the local community now that funding has been confirmed.”
Boston Manor House is open every weekend during the summer until the end of October from noon until 5pm.
July 13, 2018