Trust Announces New Grants to Preserve and Enhance Surrey’s Heritage

Royal School of Needlework, Hampton Court Palace , East Molesey :
Surrey Historic Buildings Trust has made a donation of £3,000 towards the conservation, repair and refurbishment of one of the disused former “Grace and Favour” apartments at Hampton Court Palace, enabling the room to be brought back into active use, this time as a café for students and visitors to the Royal School of Needlework, which is based within the Palace. Andy Smith , Administrator of Surrey Historic Buildings Trust, explains: “The Royal School of Needlework aims to renovate several rooms on the third floor of the ‘William and Mary’ wing of Hampton Court Palace , immediately above the Royal Apartments of King William III and Queen Mary II. This is the part of Hampton Court that was created by the great architect Sir Christopher Wren, who also designed St Paul ‘s Cathedral. The aim of the project currently underway is to breathe new life into these unused rooms. The Royal School of Needlework is world-renowned for teaching traditional embroidery skills and for its conservation and repair work on historic textiles including precious tapestries and furnishings, so the Trust was only too happy to assist the School by helping to fund the renovation of rooms at the Palace.”

Bletchingley Castle Ruins, Castle Square , Bletchingley:
A grant of £3,000 has been made by the Trust for a survey of the condition of Bletchingley Castle Ruins, an important Scheduled Ancient Monument , which is currently on the “Heritage At Risk” Register. Andy Smith explains: “In the long term it is envisaged there should be public access via the Greensand Way which passes through the property, so it is important to examine the current state of the ruins and then to seek funding for a more extensive conservation programme. As with many of the Trust’s grants, the aim of this donation is to ensure that the property can be properly repaired and that it can come off the Heritage At Risk Register as soon as possible.”

St Mary’s Homes, Church Lane, Godstone:
The Trust has also agreed to give a grant of £3,000 for a replacement staircase in this Grade II listed group of almshouses dating from 1872 and designed by George Gilbert Scott.‘Nutfield’, Heath Road , Weybridge:
The Trust has awarded £1,100 towards repointing and replacing brickwork at the rear of this very fine 18th century house, which is Grade II listed.

Lime Kilns, East Battery , Betchworth:
A further £600 has been granted by the Trust for the ongoing topographical survey of Betchworth Lime Kilns, in addition to the grant already made by the Trust in 2014.Cooper Tomb, St Andrew’s Churchyard, Cobham:
The Trust has also funded repairs to the Cooper Tomb in the churchyard of St Andrew’s Church. The four fluted Doric columns on this Grade II-listed stone tomb, dating from 1840, had become loose and were considered a safety hazard, so repairs were essential. The Trust covered the entire cost of the repair work, which has already been completed, so ensuring the columns could be removed and then re-fixed. The photograph (above) shows the tomb after the repairs.