Cannon Hall Museum: Work to begin to replace roof of former stately home turned museum

Cannon Hall Museum’s ‘defective’ roof is in need of urgent repair, to protect the collections within, including ceramics, furniture, paintings and drawings.

The project will start on Monday, August 19 and is expected to be complete in early 2025. The £900,000 project has been funded by the government’s Museum Estate and Development Fund.

The existing defective roof will be replaced with a fully ventilated lead roof with new patent glazed rooflights.

The project will also include stonework repairs, replacements and repointing to the chimneys, parapets and cornices of the hall, which dates back to the 18th century and is listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens by Historic England.

The museum will remain open to the public with minimal disruption throughout the works.

Councillor Robin Franklin, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture at Barnsley Council, said: “We are delighted to receive this generous grant from the MEND fund, which will enable us to carry out essential work on the roof at Cannon Hall Museum.

“The museum is a jewel in the crown of Barnsley’s cultural offer and visited by hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

“The roof repairs will not only preserve the historic building and its collections, but also improve the visitor experience and importantly support our environmental sustainability. People can still come and explore the Museum throughout the project which is free to enter.”

Pete Massey, director for Yorkshire and the Humber at Arts Council England, said: “The museum, based in an 18th century building, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Barnsley every year and it’s vital to ensure that the collections and the building itself are protected and preserved so that the local community and visitors can continue to enjoy the exhibitions and events in the future.

"It’s also fantastic that the work will help increase the museum’s resilience to the changing climate condition and improve its environmental sustainability.”