Newstead Abbey to receive £100k for repairs

A number of repair projects have been ongoing at Newstead Abbey in recent years

More than £100,000 has been awarded to fund repairs at Newstead Abbey.

The site, which is owned by Nottingham City Council, has been on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register since 2004.

A former home of poet Lord Byron, the funding from Historic England will be used for roofing and stonework repairs, as well as assessing the need for future restoration projects.

The abbey has received millions of pounds from a range of sources to help fund a series of schemes.

Lord Byron lived at Newstead Abbey for six years from 1808

Newstead Abbey was founded as an Augustinian priory by Henry II in 1170 as penance for the murder of Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Beckett, and was inherited by John Byron, who fought on the side of the Royalists in the English Civil War.

In 1808 it became the home of the 6th Baron Byron, more widely known as the poet Lord Byron, who lived there until 1814, and in 1931 it was gifted to the Nottingham Corporation - the predecessor to the city council - by philanthropist Sir Julien Cahn.

Deborah Williams, Historic England's regional director for the Midlands, said: "Byron is one of England's greatest poets and Newstead is one of England's greatest historic houses.

"That's why we've been working with Nottingham City Council since 2018 to secure the future of this magnificent site, ensuring it lives on, allowing people to discover and enjoy Byron's beautiful poetry and Newstead's wonderful architecture for many years to come."

Michelle Welsh, MP for Sherwood Forest, said the latest grant award was "fantastic news for our area".

"It will help preserve the Abbey for future generations and ensure that more people can come and enjoy its beauty and heritage," she said.