Historic Garden Wall in South Yorkshire to be Saved
An 18th century garden wall at Cannon Hall in Barnsley is to be saved from imminent collapse thanks to a £55,000 grant from Historic England.
The brick wall surrounds Cannon's 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 produced fruit and vegetables for the Spencer family, who owned Cannon Hall until 1951.
Built from handmade bricks, a large section of the garden wall is at risk of collapsing, which led to the site's addition to Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register in 2023.
Managed by Barnsley Museums, Cannon Hall is a popular attraction that welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year who come to walk around its park and gardens.
Substantial investment has been made in the repair and maintenance of Cannon Hall’s gardens in recent years. However, Barnsley Museums was not able to access the funding for the wall repairs until Historic England awarded the grant.
The £55,000 grant will fund the careful dismantling of the damaged section brick by brick, which will then be used to rebuild the wall in the traditional style, using lime mortar.
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.
