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| Kelmarsh Hall |
A previously inaccessible area of a Grade I listed hall is
being opened to the public following a conservation project which has been
managed by Focus Consultants.
The scheme
at Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens in Northamptonshire - entitled ‘Tunnelling through
the Past’ - has conserved the former stable yard, laundries and the servants’
areas in the basement of the house.
Thanks to a
£1.3 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and funding from
Daventry District Council grant scheme, along with the charity’s own
fundraising efforts, the history of the lives of the servants at the hall will
now be showcased to visitors.
Nottingham-based Focus Consultants, which specialises in delivering high quality heritage projects
across the UK, has been involved with the project from the end of 2015 until
completion, undertaking a project management role.
Project manager at Focus Jo Hardwicke said: “The main opening of this exciting
new interactive visitor experience will be on 1st April 2018, when
the hall reopens to the general public, but there will be an exclusive preview
of the spaces next month as part of the National Lottery ‘Thank You’ week to
lottery players, when Kelmarsh Hall holds a Christmas Fair
on 17th December.
“As a
company, Focus has wide experience of conservation, restoration and other
projects within the heritage sector, and we have been thrilled to have played a
role in conserving and opening up these previously inaccessible areas at
Kelmarsh Hall to give the public a glimpse into the history of the servants who
lived behind the scenes at this wonderful hall.”
Currently
just the main living spaces in the grand Grade I listed hall are open to
visitors, and guided tours provide in-depth insight into the history of its
famed past residents, such as designer Nancy Lancaster. But following the
conservation project, undertaken by contractor Stone Edge, and after the
introduction of the latest technologies, a full sensory experience of what life
was like for those who formerly worked and lived at the property will be
available. Tablet devices will help visitors to interpret the rooms in detail,
whilst augmented reality will bring the spaces to life with period characters
appearing to tell their story.
Lesley
Denton, general manager for the Kelmarsh Trust said: “The conservation of the laundry
and basement which are connected by a fantastically preserved tunnel has been a
long road. It has been over six years from my first meeting with the HLF to the
handover of the capital works by Stone Edge. The Kelmarsh Trust has been so
fortunate to work with each and every one of the professionals involved, from
our accountants and architects to the designers and interpretation experts.
However, none of it would have been dealt with so professionally if we had not
appointed Focus Consultants as our project managers. Jo and Steve have ensured
we got where we are today by solving the problems, and there have been some, in
a reassuring and effective manner. I cannot thank them enough.”
Focus,
which has its headquarters at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and branches
in London, Leicester and Boston in Lincolnshire, offers a range of services,
which include securing funding
packages and project management. Since its creation in 1994, Focus has helped
to secure more than £953 million of grant assistance for a range of projects
and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.3 billion of projects
and programmes – making it one of the most successful companies of its kind.
Focus also offers
a range of services to the property and construction industry, including
building surveying, quantity surveying, project management, and sustainable
development support.
For more
information, visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk
Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk
