THE CHARITY

Moggerhanger Park is owned by The Moggerhanger House Preservation Trust which is a charity with the aims of preserving of the House and grounds, benefiting the local community and advancing the Christian religion. 

The first phase of major restoration work started in 1997 and involved the replacement of the roof, which had badly leaked with consequent damage to the internal fabric of the building. At about this time, the Trust obtained a £1.2 million grant from the Landfill Tax in order to buy back the walled gardens and woods, which formed part of the original estate, and in 1998, they obtained a £3.3 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the house and grounds. This grant enabled the next phase of work to begin: the re-rendering of the external walls and this was completed in 2000.The final - and most complicated phase in the House restoration - started in August 2002. This work saw the restoration of the interior of the building, and grew in complexity (and cost!) as it developed, mainly due to the fact that a number of fascinating historical discoveries were made during the restoration work. The house finally opened to the public in May 2005.

RESTORATION

The restoration of the Eating Room beams is the great story of 2012. The deflection of the beams not only jeopardized the beautiful ornate plasterwork of our most prestigious reception room but the structural integrity of the entire house.

We owe enormous thanks to English Heritage who funded the project and our contractors, architect, engineers, surveyors and the then Chair of Trustees, Lady Isabelle Erroll for successfully steering the Trust through such an incredibly complex project.

The preparations from January to May were meticulous with a spider’s web of wall-to-wall suspended scaffolding and floor to ceiling supports from the cellar to the top of the house. Two steel girders threaded through the rear outside wall, between the beams on the second floor stretching across to the front outside wall. Two enormous 4m bolts threaded vertically down through the roof, through the steel girders on the second floor and finally through the sagging beams on the first floor below. And then in June the drama of hydraulic jacks lifting sixteen tones of 18th Century John Soane country house was complete with a simple tightening of two cricket ball sized nuts to secure the straightened beams.

Many of the images shown here illustrate the variety of skills required by many of the builders, engineers, artisans and volunteers whose dedication has made the full restoration of the main house possible.

DONATIONS

Though the many events that take place at Moggerhanger contribute to the running costs, more money is aways needed for the fabric and upkeep as it is so special and requires skilful artisans to maintain it. Any help that you can give is essential and we look forward to welcoming you as a donor or a volunteer.