Culture Recovery Fund helps Raby Castle complete vital restoration

Raby Castle is set to make significant restorations after receiving funding from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

Administered on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by Historic England, Raby has been given support from the second round of the Heritage Stimulus Fund.

The grant will allow for important repairs to be made to Raby Castle’s historic 14th century Keep Tower, and the 19th century clock faces and sundial.

The Keep is one of Raby’s nine towers, located in the centre of the castle. In the medieval period, the base of the Keep incorporated access to the castle’s well, and the tower protected this important source of fresh water. Above ground, each floor provided levels of living accommodation for members of the powerful Nevill family.

This grant allows re-roofing, repairs and conservation work to take place in early 2022, replacing cracked and patched sections of the lead work, and keeping the castle and its contents safe from water damage.

The faces of these historic timepieces have been damaged by the harsh British weather – the two historic clock dials and the castle sundial are open to the elements on the north and south walls of The Keep.

They will receive full conservation and restoration by historic clock specialists, repainted and gilding using traditional, hardwearing techniques will breathe new life into the faces of the historic timepieces so they can continue to display the time in the years to come.

Lord Barnard, whose family home is Raby Castle, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded funding by Historic England via the Historic Houses Foundation to carry out important repair and conservation work on Raby Castle’s historic Keep Tower.

“This grant supports the vital programme of ongoing repair and maintenance required to ensure that this outstanding Grade I listed building can be enjoyed by future generations.”

Money from the government’s £2 billion Culture Recovery Fund is intended to open up heritage and the benefits it brings to everyone, helping to level up and improve life and opportunities for people in places that need it most.

Many of the organisations and sites receiving funding enhance wellbeing and community connection, offering education, development opportunities and jobs in some of the most deprived communities hit hard by the impact of the pandemic.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “From local churches to ancient buildings and landscapes, the UK’s unique heritage makes our towns, cities and villages stronger, more vibrant and helps bring communities together.

“This latest funding – £35 million from our unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund – will help protect sites including Jane Austen’s House and Hampton Court Palace for future generations and help them build back better from the pandemic.”

Duncan Wilson, Historic England’s Chief Executive, said: “Funding from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund is hugely welcome at a time when the people and organisations who look after our vast and varied array of heritage urgently need support to carry out essential repairs.

“Heritage is a fragile eco-system, with an amazing cast of characters who keep our historic places alive, with specialist skills that take time to learn and experience to perfect. These grants will protect their livelihoods, as they use their expertise to help our heritage survive.”

The latest £35 million funding awards builds on £52 million already allocated from the first round of the Heritage Stimulus Fund, which has supported works at 800 of the country’s treasured heritage assets.