The Master’s House in Ledbury wins
Heritage Lottery Fund support
Press Release on behalf of Herefordshire Council:
Herefordshire Council has received
a confirmed grant of £1.175 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for
the restoration of the Master’s House in Ledbury.
The medieval core of the building
was built in 1487 as a home for the Master of St Katherine’s hospital (now St
Katherine’s Chapel and Hall). The hospital complex also includes the Alms
Houses and the Barn; together these buildings represent a very rare surviving
example of a medieval hospital. The buildings were once set in a large estate
owned by the Dean and Chapter of Hereford.
The Master’s House has been used
for a range of uses over the years including a base for the ministry of food
during WWII, a doctor’s surgery and more recently as Herefordshire Council
office accommodation.
The project, which is also funded
by Herefordshire Council, will restore the medieval building so that it can
once again play a central role in serving the local community. The Heritage
Lottery funding will pay for the restoration of the medieval timber frame, roof
and external restoration work as well as a range of community activities
including open days during the restoration project, work placements, heritage
skills workshops, and an education programme for local schools, interpretation
boards and media to tell the story of the building through the ages.
Once completed the building will
provide a fully accessible library service for Ledbury, bookable meeting rooms
and office accommodation for Herefordshire Council staff. It will also become
the official home of the John Masefield Archive, a collection of books,
pictures, photos and artefacts related to Masefield, his poetry and his life.
The project will also provide a range of volunteering opportunities for people
of all ages. The Master’s House will continue to be the key point of contact
for Herefordshire Council customer services in Ledbury.
Councillor Roger Phillips said: “We’re delighted that the Heritage
Lottery Fund has given us this grant. The project will see long awaited
development of a new, accessible, library service for the local community and
see the future of this extraordinary building secured for the benefit of
current and future generations in Ledbury.
I would like
to take this opportunity to thank all of the local organisations and
individuals that have supported us in the development of this project and look
forward to seeing the fully restored building opening its doors to the
community in the summer of 2014”.
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