Faith and hope at vast mansion after it closes its doors to public
AN ORGANISATION leading the restoration of a vast mansion has said “faith” is all they have left after its doors closed to the public amid a £130 million programme to save the building.
Specialist contractors are currently replacing the roof of Wentworth Woodhouse, in South Yorkshire. The roof is the size of six tennis courts and the project costs £30,000 each month.
The Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust said the roof repairs would continue under Government guidelines in order to “keep the building safe” and keep the project on schedule for as long as possible.
The trust bought the house in 2017 for £7m and has been overseeing restoration.
The mansion stopped tours
The trust’s CEO said keeping people safe was a priority.
and events and closed its doors to visitors on March 20 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The trust said its 52 staff have been paid until the end of March and its 212 volunteers, who gave 22,333 hours of unpaid support in 2019, have been stood down.
A spokeswoman said: “Mea Gloria Fides (Faith Is My Glory) says the Latin script over the east front of stately home Wentworth Woodhouse.
“Faith is now all the preservation trust regenerating this Grade-I listed architectural masterpiece has left to run on.”
Dame Julie Kenny, founder and chair of the Trust, sounded a more upbeat note. She said: “Wentworth Woodhouse will reopen in style as soon as the Covid-19 crisis is over. We want everyone back in force – all our staff, volunteers and loyal supporters.”
Sarah McLeod, CEO of the trust, said: “Keeping people safe is our absolute priority now.”
The building, which has a 606ft frontage, wider than Buckingham Palace, was once Britain’s biggest private home but slid into neglect.