nationaltrust

Progress and Plans at Tyntesfield

By the end of its second full year in 2004 Tyntesfield had welcomed more than 64,000 visitors into the estate. It had engaged with almost 40 different people on a wide variety of placements, held successful pilot projects to involve different community groups and submitted a stage 1 application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant of £20 million: it has been a couple of busy years much of which would not have been possible without the dedication of our volunteers, many of whom are local.

As we move into 2005 we look forward to what is still only the third season of public access. Pre-booked public tours of the house and garden start on Sunday 20th March and tickets for the period until 29 June are now available. Ring 0870 241 4500 or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk

The tours give a valuable insight into the history of Tyntesfield and the family that has been part of the local community for almost 150 years, but it is also the opportunity to understand the processes that are involved in the conservation work required that makes Tyntesfield unique.

Planning permission was submitted for a temporary car park and visitor facilities such as toilets at the end of last year. We expect to hear in late March whether this was successful.

If so we would aim to have the work completed some time over the summer. The proposals, all of which are reversible, involve standing for approximately 250 cars in an area to the North of the estate next to Home Farm, and further provision for coaches. Under current proposals this would mark a move away from pre-booked guided tours.

A permanent solution cannot be progressed in advance of the completion of the ‘Conservation Management Plan’.

This involves research to determine the significance of all parts of the property and will form part of the Stage 2 submission at the start of 2006 to the Heritage Lottery Fund. A decision on Stage 2 is likely to be made in March/April following the deferral of the original decision and resultant provision of additional information at the end of 2004.

The Stage 2 is a huge undertaking with comprehensive pieces of work examining not only conservation but additionally the business development and in depth plans on how people will be involved in as many elements of the estate as possible.

The latter is key to the future of Tyntesfield as a project that aims to continue to involve, inspire and allow people to gain new skills for the long term.