Newly restored villa near Shrewsbury open to the public

Cronkhill, an Italianate villa on the National Trust’s Attingham Park estate at Atcham, near Shrewsbury opens to visitors tomorrow and Sunday.

Only open six days a year, this is the first time the property will be open this year.

An unexpected vision of Italy in the Shropshire countryside, Cronkhill was built from the 1780s, to resemble a stone Tuscan villa.

Designed by architect John Nash, it is the best known example of his Italianate villa designs. A conservation project carried out last year to restore Cronkhill’s appearance back to John Nash’s original design has been completed, and the exterior of the villa has now been restored to its original ‘ochre’ colour.

Visitors can head down and explore the grounds of the property from 11am – 4pm.

Helen Rowse, engagement and conservation officer said: “The building is looking fantastic after the restoration project: we’ve removed a non-breathable render from the outside and replaced it with a natural, clay-rich limestone variation of Roman Cement and we’ve now been able to restore its original warm yellow colour. It’s always exciting when we open Cronkhill for the first time each year and we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors on tomorrow and Sunday.”

Entry is free for National Trust members and under 5s.

For non-members admission charges apply, adults £3.50 and children (over 5 years) £1.80.

Cronkhill is located on the road between the A458 at Cross Houses and the B4380 at Atcham. Find it with SY4 6JP. For more information please visit http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/attingham-park- cronkhill or call 01743 708162.