A CRUMBLING 260-year-old wall is set to be saved from its imminent collapse thanks to a grant from Historic England.
The wall surrounds Cannon Hall’s kitchen garden, which was built in 1760 and forms part of the former stately home’s Grade II-listed grounds.
Lined with fruit trees - some of which date from the 18th century - the garden, designed by renowned Georgian landscape architect Richard Woods, was used to produce fruit and vegetables for the Spencer-Stanhope family.
The 300-year occupancy by the Spencer-Stanhopes ended in 1951, when the building and 150-acre estate were sold for £15,750 to the Barnsley Corporation.
The council were encouraged to buy Cannon Hall as the result of the successful scheme of converting Wentworth Castle, in Stainborough, into a college.
Cannon Hall, with its gardens and acres of unspoilt, well-wooded parkland was opened to the public in 1957.
Built from handmade bricks, a large section of the garden wall is at risk of collapsing, which led to the site be added to Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk Register’ in 2023.
There has been substantial investment in the repair and maintenance in Cannon Hall’s gardens in recent years, however Barnsley Museums had not been able to access the funding for the wall repairs until Historic England awarded the grant.
The £55,000 sum will fund the careful dismantling of the damaged section of the wall brick by brick, which will then be used to rebuild the wall in the traditional style, using lime mortar.
Bryan Davies, from Historic England, said: “Cannon Hall is a lovely heritage destination that is enjoyed by many visitors free of charge.
“This grant will allow critical repair work to take place, enabling the public to once again enjoy the perimeter walk around the kitchen garden and facilitating the removal of the gardens from the Heritage at Risk Register.”
The register shows there were 13 historic sites in Barnsley listed as at risk as of November 2023 when records were last updated.
These included five listed buildings, six monuments, one park and one conservation area.
Some of the other sites in Barnsley include the Church of St Helen in Thurnscoe, East Gawber Hall’s colliery fanhouse and a heavy anti-aircraft gunsite in Bolton-upon-Dearne.
Jon Finch, head of culture and visitor economy at Barnsley Council, added: “We are delighted to receive this generous funding from Historic England, which will enable us to restore and repair this historic 18th century wall.
“Cannon Hall is a well-loved attraction that was visited by almost one million people last year and this investment will preserve it for generations to come.”
