£2m project at Combermere Abbey nears completion
A historic abbey on the Shropshire border is moving towards the end of an ambitious £2million restoration.
Owners of Combermere Abbey, near Whitchurch have spent the last year working on a project to restore the north wing of the estate which has been uninhabited since the 1950s.
The project will take a total of 18 months and and despite plans to get some of the doors open by April, workers have taken a break to get the building looking as festive as possible.
Sarah Callander Beckett and her family have been driving the restoration project since she inherited the 900 year-old abbey in 1992.
She said: "We've been working round the clock this year to get the abbey restored to its former glory and it's been a labour of love by all involved.
"We've had our set-backs, from the terribly wet weather that has delayed the exterior painting project using specialist Keim paints, developed for historic buildings, to unforeseen structural issues with timber framing.
"However, we're on track to start our exciting new venture as we look to diversify further to the public with bridal accommodation opening in April 2016."
The north wing had become structurally unstable and owners said it was seriously endangering the rest of the Grade I listed building.
Work began with stripping the 900-year-old building back to its medieval and Tudor frame before restoring it back to its gothic exterior.
The project is nearly complete but took nearly 20 years to raise the funds needed for the restoration.
British interior designer Nina Campbell is to be involved with giving the build its final touches.
The abbey began as a Cistercian monastery in 1133, before being dissolved under Henry VIII.
It has won a host of awards including the title of 'top rated wedding venue in Shropshire on WeddingDates.co.uk.
It is also in the running as one of the top four wedding venues in the country as part of the 2016 Hudson's Heritage Awards with the winner set to be announced in March.
