Studley Royal entrance and tearoom to close for 12 months as part of £5.8m investment plans
The entrance and tearoom at Studley Royal is set to close for a year from next month - as part of £5.8m plans to revitalise the much-loved attraction.
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal is undergoing a multi-million pound project - known as ‘Studley Revealed’ - to improve visitor facilities at the UNESCO World Heritage Site near Ripon.
The plans include removing some of the intrusive elements of the site which have obscured the traditional views, including temporary buildings, fencing and overgrown planting.
And the current visitor facilities are struggling to cope with visitor demand and meet accessibility standards, a statement from the National Trust, which cares for the site, said.
In a statement, The National trust said: “Studley Lodge will create a more welcoming and accessible arrival point within the water garden, improve facilities for visitors and reveal historic views that have been lost over time, reconnecting the landscape with the vision of its 18th-century creators.”
The work, which will take place over the next year, will remove some of the intrusive elements and improve visitor facilities, including toilets and a new cafe.
It means the tearoom and entrance between the deer park and water garden will close from September 7.
Visitors will still be able to enter the park and gardens through the visitor centre and West Gate, while Studley car park will also remain open for those heading to the deer park.
Justin Scully, general manager of National Trust Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal said: “Studley Revealed represents a once-in-a-generation investment in the future of this remarkable World Heritage Site.
“The project will help us better care for the landscape and create visitor facilities that are worthy of a World Heritage Site for the millions of people who will continue to enjoy this special place in years to come.
“As a conservation charity, we're committed to protecting the heritage of Studley Royal while helping visitors understand and enjoy what makes it so special.”
The National Trust has appointed Harrogate-based firm The HACS Group as the principal contractor for the works. The company also took part in works to dredge and restore Studley Lake more than 40 years ago.
Eddie Ashworth, commercial director of The HACS Group, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this project, particularly as it’s so close to home.
“Supporting our local community is something we’re genuinely passionate about, and while we’ve had the privilege of working on a number of heritage projects, this will be our first World Heritage Site – an exciting opportunity to showcase our team’s expertise while helping to enhance a valued community facility.”
Also working on the site will be award-winning heritage architects Feilden Fowles, which has worked with Yorkshire Sculpture Park in the past, and landscape architects RankinFraser, specialists in delivering award-winning schemes within historic landscapes.
Maelys Garreau, senior architect at Feilden Fowles said: “Studley Revealed reconnects an 18th-century masterpiece with its original landscape, reuniting the deer park and garden, reinstating the Georgian sequence at its true entrance, while enhancing accessibility and climate resilience across the site.
“At the heart of the scheme is the careful conservation and extension of the Grade II Listed Victorian Lodge that will provide a larger tearoom and interpretation space, framing key views across the breathtaking landscape.
“Together with the National Trust and design team, we have blended architecture into nature to shape a single, considered composition that honours history, restores lost sightlines, and revives the garden’s spatial order, that we hope will continue to delight visitors for generations to come.”