Corfe Castle restoration project
Corfe Castle taken by Matthew Antrobus
SITA Trust donates £250,000 to fund Corfe Castle repairs
A CAMPAIGN to raise much-needed funds to pay for the second stage of a conservation project at the 1000-year-old Corfe Castle in Dorset has received a huge cash boost.
SITA Trust, which supports community and environmental projects through the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF), is to give a £250,000 grant to help fund major repairs to the National Trust-owned castle.
The money – one of the largest amounts ever provided to a single community project by SITA Trust - will pay for specific repair work to the North Building, the 12th century South West Gatehouse and the Outer Gatehouse.
Marek Gordon, Chairman of SITA Trust, said: “In 2007 SITA Trust celebrated its 10th anniversary and to mark this we decided to provide £250,000 to each of two significant community projects.
“Within the heritage category the Corfe Castle application really stood out. We are delighted to be able to fund the repairs that will help ensure future generations are able to enjoy one of the country’s most recognisable historic landmarks.”
The grant has been described by the National Trust as “exceptionally generous.”
Doug Whyte, Property Manager (Purbeck), said: “We are now able to complete this much needed conservation work on the castle, repairing and re-pointing crumbling stonework, protecting it from further weather related deterioration and ensuring that it is safe for visitors.
“The castle is an important and dramatic piece of the Dorset landscape and we are delighted that SITA Trust has helped to ensure that the castle can remain open and safe for local people and holiday-makers alike well into the future.”
The National Trust and English Heritage announced a £700,000 conservation project to restore the top section of Corfe Castle in 2006. They are the first major repairs for 50 years to the iconic castle which is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Phase one saw stone conservators consolidate the fallen masonry known as ‘tumble’(a result of Cromwell’s destruction of the castle) in the castle’s Gloriette and Inner Ward.
The second phase, costing about £500,000, is well underway. Work on the Keep and Gloriette is about to be completed and it is expected that the area will re-open to visitors in early May. Phase two continues with work to the South West Gatehouse, Outer Gatehouse and fallen stonework around the ruin and is due to finish early next year.
SITA Trust donates £250,000 to fund Corfe Castle repairs/2
About 170,000 people visit Corfe Castle every year. A stronghold has existed on the site since the 11th century and the castle has served as a royal treasure store and prison.
Corfe Castle was besieged twice by Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War and was finally captured in 1646 and subsequently demolished with explosives.
SITA Trust is a major funder of projects within the Landfill Communities Fund. It began its work in 1997 having been established by SITA UK as an independent organisation to manage the distribution of landfill tax credits. SITA UK is a leading provider of recycling and waste management services.
SITA Trust funding is available for community improvement projects within ten miles of an active SITA UK landfill site and environmental projects within ten miles of any active landfill site.
The Beacon Hill landfill site, near Corfe Mullen, Dorset, is eight miles from Corfe Castle and is operated by SITA UK.
Since 1997 SITA Trust has allocated £60m to more than 1600 projects across the UK.
ENDS
Picture caption: Hats away: Doug Whyte (second right) and Pam White (left) of the National Trust celebrate the £250,000 grant with (left to right) Marek Gordon, Chairman of SITA Trust; Cllr Hilary Cox, Deputy Leader, Dorset County Council, and Michael Cox, Area Manager, SITA UK.
Editor’s Note:
For more information please contact:
Emma Drury, Communications Manager, SITA Trust, tel: 01454 262940
Lorna Crouch, Communications and Production Officer, The National Trust Wessex Region, tel: 01985 843610
Andrew Diprose, PR Account Director, Deep South Media on 01202 534487
The National Trust
For more information visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk
The National Trust is a charity and is completely independent of Government. It relies for income on membership fees, donations, grants, legacies, and revenue raised from commercial operations. The Trust now has 3.5 million members and 43,000 volunteers. More than 12 million people visit pay for entry properties, while an estimated 50 million visit open air properties every year. Over 300 historic houses and gardens and 49 industrial monuments and mills are protected and open to the public every year.