300 year old problem of giant jigsaw proportions

Any recent visitors to Beningbrough Hall & Gardens might have seen scaffold and contractors around the site. What’s going on? We’re working on the south side of the hall to restore the south bridge and light well which have become damaged by subsidence, water and frost.

The hall is nearly 300 years old and requires considerable upkeep. It was built in the early 18^th century and probably took five or six years to complete. At that time, Yorkshire was a great regional centre for craftsmanship. This is no different today and we have specialist craftspeople including masons and bricklayers working to repair the damage.

Historically there has been settlement in the main structure of the hall which has caused it to drop lower than the steps. This has distorted the brick arch of the bridge. Ladies of the Hall would have used this route to access the south terrace for their walks in the garden.

During the coming weeks, the structural problems will be corrected and the damage caused by frost and water will be repaired using traditional methods. This will include conservation of the limestone door case, the brickwork in the light well and the railings to the steps. The first job is to remove the bridge piece by piece making a note of position for accurately replacing at a later date. Reclaimed and salvaged brick are being used wherever possible. As part of the work, we are also taking the opportunity to carry out drainage improvements.

The work has been generously supported by a grant from the Wolfson Foundation. We expect it to be completed during October. Check back to the blog for updates on the progress and anything interesting we discover. Otherwise, why not come along and chat to the experts as they solve our giant jigsaw problem. 

Why not read the articles in the papers or visit:

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/traditional-approach-will-save-crumbling-bridge-1-4829097

Bird Restaurant Opening Soon!

The garden team are engaged in a new project to introduce a bird feeding station at Beningbrough, and the American garden has been chosen as the ideal location.

This is because the American garden is an informal, natural setting, having a good mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs providing plenty of cover for birds. The long grass provides a habitat for a wide range of insects, and together with the pond, this makes the American garden very attractive for birdlife.

You may have already noticed that we have roped off an area in the first instance to ensure there is minimum disturbance for the visiting birds. As we have squirrels living on the estate, we have had to select squirrel-proof feeders to protect the food for the birds.

Our aim is to officially open the bird feeding station in the autumn and we have a ‘bird weekend’ in the diary for October 20th & 21st which will involve a number of bird-related activities. We will also be pleased to welcome the RSPB, who will be in attendance over the bird weekend to provide some interpretation to our visitors.

If anyone is interesting in making a donation of bird feed to help towards the running of the bird station (peanuts and seed would be ideal!), please contact Steve Williams (Gardener), or please leave any contributions at reception for Steve to collect.

When you next visit, why not visit the back of the American Garden....you never know what you might spot!

The garden team