National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £250,000 to £5million
The house played a significant role in the political and religious struggles of the 1670s. At a time of increasing anti-Catholic discrimination, its owner Thomas Gunter allowed mass to be held illegally in an attic chapel.
With the building in considerable disrepair, restoration is critical to enable public access and secure the house’s future.
Alongside making Plas Gunter Mansion safe and accessible, the project will:
- conserve the ornate plasterwork ceiling in the first-floor parlour and wall paintings in the former chapel
- install new interpretation and galleries to share the house’s history
- create volunteer facilities, lettable offices and a flexible multipurpose space
- improve the building’s environmental sustainability by adding insulation and an air source heat pump
During the restoration, members of the public will have the chance to get involved through excavations, hard hat tours, guided walks and history events.
Owen Davies, Chair of Plas Gunter Mansion Trust, said: “The potential of our project to engage more people with heritage, boost the local economy and make Abergavenny a better place to live, work and visit is considerable. Thanks to National Lottery players we will open the most historic parts of the building to the public for the first time and reveal a capsule of stories from the past 400 years.
“Local, national and international visitors will be able to learn more about the history and cultural identity of Abergavenny and its relevance to the wider themes of persecution, tolerance and sanctuary which are particularly pertinent today.”
Explore more projects we’ve supported to safeguard historic buildings.
