Work to develop conservation plans for the medieval moated manor house at Scadbury Park is getting underway following grant funding.
The feasibility study will inform an envisaged second phase of conservation works to the Moated Manor, with a focus on capital repair to the moats and rebuilding sections of the moat walls. The detailed feasibility study follows a successful grant fund application, which was supported by Historic England, from the Rural Payments Agency of £434k, with an architect being appointed to complete this specialist work.
The news follows repair and conservation work to the remains of the medieval moated manor house at Scadbury Park in 2022, which helped secure some of the most urgent repairs and stabilisation of brickwork. The long-term plan to conserve the much-loved manor house is one the Council’s Open Space Strategy actions, with feasibility study part of this.
Councillor Will Rowlands, Executive Councillor for Environment said, “It is amazing to think that Queen Elizabeth I visited Scadbury over 400 hundred years ago and we are grateful for the support of both the Orpington and District Archaeological Society and Historic England. The grant funding news is very welcome, which will help bring forward plans that will guide an envisaged construction project that will look after this historic gem, which forms part of Scadbury Park and is in need of highly specialist construction work to help secure the long term future of this building.”
Janet Clayton, Chairman of the Orpington and District Archaeological Society (ODAS), said, “It is wonderful news that this grant has been awarded to Bromley Council. Scadbury moated manor is an unusual survival in Greater London. It has an interesting history connected to the Tudor court; Queen Elizabeth visited in 1597 to knight the owner, Thomas Walsingham. The Tudor brickwork at this important site is now in poor condition and further conservation will help to preserve it for future generations. ODAS hopes to open the manor site to the public during Open House London on 13/14 September; for details see www.odas.org.uk.”
The moated manor and fishponds, which were designated by Historic England as a scheduled monument in 2013 and added to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2014, are located within three hundred acres of countryside forming the wider local nature reserve and part of the original Scadbury estate.
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Notes to editors:
The Orpington and District Archaeological Society (ODAS) is an active local volunteer archaeology group and registered charity. The society promotes the study of archaeology in the local area by undertaking excavations, carrying out research into the archaeology and history of the area and encouraging public interest through meetings and visits. ODAS has a licence from Bromley Council to carry out archaeological work at Scadbury Manor. For further information see: www.odas.org.uk.
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