Urgent repair works are being planned at the ancestral home of poet Lord Byron in a bid to remove it from the heritage at risk register.
The project to develop a programme of repairs at Newstead Abbey will cost £130,000, with £104,000 coming from Historic England and the remainder from Nottingham City Council.
The site is managed by the Labour-run authority’s City museums and galleries service.
The plan is expected to be finished by February 2025.
“Following on from previous restoration and development work delivered at Newstead Abbey over the last five years, the museum service has been working with Historic England to develop up a programme of urgent repairs to remove Newstead Abbey from the Heritage at Risk Register,” council delegated decision documents say.
“Currently the building suffers from long-term ingress resulting in internal areas becoming unsafe for staff, visitors, volunteers and collections.”
Newstead Abbey dates back as far as the 12th century and was home to the poet from 1808 to 1814.
In 2014 a condition survey revealed the roofing needed replacing urgently and within five years.
Work has been taking place ever since, however some areas of the roof are now being propped up to prevent collapse.
In some areas, particularly in storage areas, ceilings have collapsed and the
museum collections have been relocated to protect them.
“The grant award of £104,000 from Historic England will enable the service to contract a professional team,” documents add.
“Individual contracts will be awarded to a conservation accredited architect, structural engineer and quantity surveyor to develop up the programme of repairs to support future funding applications whereby the programme of repairs can then be delivered.”
Newstead Abbey’s 18th Century Cannon Fort and dock, which sits across the lake, was also put on the risk register in 2018.
It was built in around 1750 and was used for entertainment, including the recreation of famous naval battles.
In 2019 funding for the masonry work on the fort, and repairs to the West Front of the abbey, was granted.
Historic England made a grant of £151,334 at the time, alongside The World Monuments Fund which gave £57,000, and the council which provided £101,666.
