Wentworth Woodhouse: Camellia house to get £4m restoration

The Camellia House was built in 1812 on the site of a former pavilion from 1738

A project to restore a Grade II listed building in the grounds of a stately home has been awarded £4m of National Lottery funding.

Bosses at Wentworth Woodhouse, near Rotherham, want to turn the glass-fronted camellia house into a tea house and events venue.

They say the project, expected to take about one year, will lead to the creation of 22 jobs.

The building was recently stabilised to prevent it collapsing.

Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust said camellia plants surviving from the 1800s would be given pride of place in the refurbished tea house, which is currently on the Heritage at Risk Register.

Repurposing the camellia house is the first regeneration project since vital repairs on other historic buildings on the site were completed, said the trust.

Its long-term aim is to turn Wentworth Woodhouse into a visitor attraction, office and craft space, event venue and hotel.

Afternoon teas at the stately home are already a source of income to assist with renovation costs

The trust bought the 365-room stately home in 2017 for £7m. The regeneration of the Grade I listed house will take up to 20 years and will cost over £130m.

CEO Sarah McLeod said: "We can now take a huge step forward in delivering our aspirations - regenerating Wentworth Woodhouse so it can benefit all people living in South Yorkshire and be an even greater source of local pride".