Over 80 specialists, buildings craftspeople and heritage enthusiasts from the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings join forces to help the regeneration of walls, windows, brickwork and masonry across the estate, 5-10 June 2025
A band of heritage enthusiasts and expert craftspeople will gather over four days to help repair various historic structures at Wentworth Woodhouse in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, this June. Every year SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) hold working parties to rescue historic buildings in need, and teach practical, traditional craft skills.
From 5-10 June, under the guidance of master craftspeople and other specialists, 50 participants will carry out repairs to stabilise and maintain various walls, brickwork and masonry around the estate. Work will include archaeology to determine the dome structure of the Ice House; repairs to rotten timbers of the mansion’s sash windows; replacement, consolidation and repointing of stonework in the Round Garden and brickwork along the South Garden wall, and cornice brickwork of the Game House.
In addition, the working party will be burning their own lime mortar in SPAB’s portable lime kiln and mixing this lime to make the ideal material for many of these repairs
This year’s working party is a collaboration between SPAB’s Yorkshire Regional Group of members, SPAB’s national Education & Training team and Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust.
SPAB’s working party leader, Jonathan Garlick, said: “Our working parties are for everyone! We welcome anyone with an interest in old buildings and a desire to get their hands dirty, whether you’re an old hand on the tools or you’ve never picked up a trowel before and want to learn from expert craftspeople. It’s a chance for anyone who lives in or cares for old buildings to have a go at techniques they might use on their own home; and for heritage enthusiasts who simply love being around old buildings to work with other people that love them.”
Simon Gill, Head of Heritage (Buildings and Landscapes) at Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, said: “We are very grateful to SPAB for choosing us for its summer working party. It offers a unique opportunity for people interested in learning heritage construction skills.
“They get expert tuition and the opportunity to practice what they learn on Wentworth Woodhouse itself – one of the most important heritage regeneration challenges of a generation.
“They will be hands-on, helping us with our restoration work and we are really looking forward to creating relationships with people who care about buildings that enrich our heritage.”
There are 50 places for the six-day event, costing £320 per person including camping set up by organisers in the gardens of Wentworth Woodhouse. A limited number of day places are available for Yorkshire residents not wanting to camp – but they are welcome to join breakfast with the rest of the team at 8am each morning. Bursaries are available.
To find out more, visit www.spab.org.uk and www.wentworthwoodhouse.org.uk/our-story
Link for online version for day places for Yorkshire residents
Image shows Simon Gill, Head of Heritage (Buildings and Landscapes) at Wentworth Woodhouse, at the mansion’s dilapidated Ice House
