Hall’s Croft, the Grade I listed building once home to William Shakespeare’s eldest daughter, Susanna Hall, will begin a significant conservation project this spring. The charity responsible for its preservation has promised to extend access, allowing audiences to see the works undertaken in real time.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT), the charity responsible for sharing and protecting the Shakespeare family homes in Stratford-upon-Avon has today (Thursday 30 January) announced the start of an ambitious, multi-year conservation programme at Hall’s Croft as well as an audience engagement programme that will allow people to get a front row seat to the action.
The preliminary stages of the conservation project have already begun as part of the Trust’s wider January conservation period across all the properties, with mobile scaffolding recently erected in the garden of Hall’s Croft. In-house conservation experts have removed an initial 10 panels from the ground and first floors of the rear elevation of the Grade I listed building. This work allows for further investigation of the current condition of the timber frame, enabling the creation of a joint-by-joint repair plan.
“As a charity committed to the preservation of the Shakespeare family homes, we’re excited to begin this important first phase of conservation works at Hall’s Croft. None of this would be possible without the generous support of American playwright, Ken Ludwig, who has pledged £1 million to enable us to start our preliminary works and the first phase.
With this work underway, we can ensure that Hall’s Croft is accessible to audiences today and those who want to explore the Shakespeare story in the future.”
Said Tim Aucott, director of strategy and change at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Phase one of the conservation works will focus on the removal of a further 265 modern panels from the rear elevation both inside and outside of the property, allowing conservation teams to commence essential timber frame repairs at the heart of the property. Later in the project, new panels, created using traditional 17th-century-inspired construction methods, will be installed, helping to improve the thermal efficiency of the building and reducing its long-term carbon footprint.
The SBT have confirmed that Peter McCurdy from McCurdy & Co, leaders in the field of authentic renovation and reconstruction of historic timber frame buildings will lead this first phase of the conservation effort and will also support the audience engagement programme with tours and talks throughout the year.
The focus on audience engagement is at the heart of the conservation efforts at the former home of William Shakespeare’s eldest daughter, Susanna. A viewing platform will be installed in the scaffolding to give people a chance to peer inside and discover what is going on. Additionally, hard hat tours of the building led by industry experts will be available throughout the year. These special tours will allow attendees to see the works up close and ask questions of the conservators working on the property. More details will be announced in the coming weeks, with provisions for access in place when phase one of the conservation work to the frame begins in early spring.
“We know that there is a lot of interest in what is happening at Hall’s Croft, and we want to offer as much access as possible during the first phase of works and beyond.
With the new viewing platform, we will be able to offer easy access via the garden. Our intention is to offer this as a regular, drop-in experience, with no pre-booking necessary. We will also work closely with our conservation partners, McCurdy & Co to deliver a series of fascinating tours and talks. They have unrivalled expertise in the field of timber reconstruction, leading on Shakespeare’s Globe, so being able to offer their knowledge to audiences is a real honour for us.”
Continued Mr Aucott.
The Trust will soon announce more details on a special volunteer programme where guides will be trained to lead audience engagement at the property.
This latest access announcement follows the news of a new set of tools developed by Dr Ailsa Grant-Ferguson which allow audiences to explore a virtual version of Hall’s Croft, ensuring that as many people as possible can continue to be inspired by this impressive property whilst it undergoes a multi-year conservation programme.
For more information, please visit www.shakespeare.org.uk.