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Sept 2024
£22,000 restoration of Studley Royal temple approved
Plans to restore an iconic folly in the grounds of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal have been approved.
The National Trust submitted plans to renovate the Temple of Piety to North Yorkshire Council in July.
The Stray Ferret reported on the application at the time of submission, which sought approval to remove and rebuild two inner walls of the grade-I listed building, as well as to install airbricks.
The National Trust, which also applied for listed building consent, proposed to redecorate the interior of the temple following construction work as well.
A planning document, which outlines the reasons for the project, says the temple has had “continuous problems” with the interior since the trust took on the property in the 1980s.
The temple is suffering from damp – which has formed in large patches – as well as mould, delaminating and flaking paint layers, the plans add.
"Inappropriate interventions” in the 20 Century contributed to the conservation issues, the document says, which has in turn harmed the fabric of the building and impacted its aesthetic value.
Internal damage to The Temple of Piety. Credit: National Trust
Closure and costs
The charity told the Stray Ferret at the time of its planning submission that work is estimated to cost around £22,000.
We asked the National Trust for an update on cost and when work is set to start, as well as whether the work will disrupt visitors.
A spokesperson today said:
These works will cost around £22,000 and will take place from September 23 until November 9, during which time public access will not be possible.
The first coat of lime plaster, known as the scratch coat, will take around 3 weeks to dry.
After that the upper coats, known as the float coats can be applied.
Next year, once the rebuilt walls are fully dry, we’ll choose a final topcoat for the ceiling, cornice, walls, niches, skirting and woodwork based on paint sampling and analysis.
The council approved the plans subject to conditions yesterday (September 24).
Wider plans
The news comes amid the trust’s ambitious £3.5 million improvement plans for Studley Royal.
The project, called Studley Revealed, would include an accessible café, an admission point, new toilets and restoration of historical sightlines.
But the new building would be located inside the water garden and only accessible to paying visitors.
The existing tearoom, which is in the deer park, will close as part of the proposal, while a new kiosk – which was approved in June – will be erected.
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