Combermere Abbey receives £21,000 grant from Culture Recovery Fund
A country estate near Whitchurch is set to receive a second financial boost from the Government's Culture Recovery Fund.
Combermere Abbey will receive £21,000 in funding which will be used towards improving signage and pathways around the dedicated woodland walks and gardens, as well as assisting with the upcoming re-opening of the estate.
The funds have been awarded as part of the ongoing £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund where more than 2,700 organisations were selected to receive the second grant.
Sarah Callander Beckett, owner of Combermere Abbey said: “This money is such a lifeline for us after so many months closed due to the pandemic. We are excited to open back up and welcome back guests and this grant from the Culture Recovery Fund will be instrumental in this.
"Part of the money will go towards improving signage across the estate and gardens, enabling us to open the popular woodland walk with bluebells for an extended period this year. We are so grateful to have been considered again.”
Ben Cowell, Director General of Historic Houses Association added: “We are thrilled that so many Historic Houses member properties have been awarded grants through the Culture Recovery Fund. Houses like Combermere Abbey play vital roles in their local areas – whether as employers, as destinations to visit, as settings for weddings and other events, or as important historical landmarks.
"The support from the Culture Recovery Fund means that places like these, facing some of the worst trading conditions for more than 70 years, once again have a viable future.”
After months of closure, the second round of funding will help Combermere Abbey look ahead to its reopening.
Meanwhile, the estate is currently preparing for when it opens its grounds to the public for woodland walks with bluebells over the next five weeks.
Combermere Abbey plans to open the estate to local residents across north Shropshire – in line with Government guidance – to enjoy a stroll through the woodlands on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from April 14 until the May 23, with to the possibility of extending it, should the demand be there. Dogs are welcome (at no charge) and appropriate footwear is required.
New for this year is online ticketing via the website, offering a limited number of tickets per walk to ensure lots of space and privacy. Tickets will be released two weeks prior to each event.
The first collection of tickets are now live at combermereabbey.co.uk/?whats_on=bluebell-walk
