Do you want to know more about the buildings featured in the second series of Restoration? You can find information on the progress made since 2004 below.
MIDLANDS
BAWDSEY RADAR STATION
Having managed to raise some funds in 2008 to carry out surveys and create an archive of oral histories, unfortunately further funds have not materialised. There is however continued interest in this former powerhouse of the war effort. Guided tours continue and recent open days have been more popular than ever.
Bawdsey Radar Station website
NEWSTEAD ABBEY
Campaigners managed to raise £47,000 through donations to restore the iconic 'Virgin and Child' statue on the threatened west front, which has now been unveiled. Campaigners are now attempting to raise further funds through an 'adopt-a-stone' scheme and exploring further ways to raise the more than £1m required to save the West Front.
Newstead Abbey website
OLD GRAMMAR SCHOOL AND SARACEN'S HEAD
This duo of buildings won the second series and has been completely restored. The Saracen's Head Pub is now a busy café the popularity of which has exceeded all expectations, and rooms upstairs are in use by a cross section of the community. The Old Grammar School is back in use as a classroom, half a century after it was first built, as children learn what it would have been like to be a medieval school pupil.
With a huge range of educational classes, talks and facilities on offer these sleeping treasures are buzzing once again.
Saint Nicolas Place website
NORTH
GAYLE MILL
After four long years of hard work the restoration of the mill is now complete. Its doors have opened, encompassing a visitor attraction, a manufacturer of wood products and timber services. They also runs courses for people to learn skills associated with the mill and when the machines are not running the power is transferred to generating green electricity.
Tours of the mill take place on selected days April - September by appointment.
Gayle Mill website
LION SALT WORKS
The only open pan salt works in the country is getting close to being restored. They have been offered a huge grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund of £4.96m and now further funding has also been pledged. Work should get underway shortly.
Lion Salt Works Trust website
SHEFFIELD MANOR LODGE
The supporters of this large site have had huge successes following a £1.2m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. By adding this to further funding a full restoration scheme is underway, along with a regeneration scheme aimed at helping the wider area and community. A Discovery Centre is due to be unveiled in April 2009 and detailed archaeological and conservation work continues.
Since appearing on Restoration a huge number of 'finds' have come to light that were discovered during digs in the 1970's which go towards building up a wider social history of the area.
Manor Lodge on the Green Estate website
SOUTH EAST
ARCHBISHOPS PALACE
Following a period of slow progress since Restoration, the Parish of Charing are now investigating setting up a trust which could help with the purchase of the property and any future restoration. This new and energised group are set on the Palace being made available for public use and are looking into channels of possible funding. Time is now of the essence as the building has continued to deteriorate.
Archbishops Palace website
SEVERNDROOG CASTLE
The campaigners of this building have been given funds, which have enabled them to draw up long-term plans for the castle. They still hope to transform the forgotten castle into a café, and allow public access throughout enabling everyone to enjoy the magnificent views from the top.
STRAWBERRY HILL
The supporters of Strawberry Hill have had plenty to celebrate having secured £4.6m from the Heritage Lottery Fund plus further funds that brings them within reach of the £8m that they need to restore the whole site.
Work commenced in January 2009 and they are planning to open the doors to the public in 2010. Since the work has begun, many surprises have been discovered on site and the history of Horace Walpole's extraordinary house become even more rich.
Friends of Strawberry hill website
SOUTH WEST
CASTLE HOUSE
No final solution has been found for Castle House, but it has been awarded two grants by English Heritage which total £100,000. This money will be used for urgent repairs and to investigate the best way to save this unusual but significant building.
SHERBORNE HOUSE
In September 2008, Dorset County Council began negotiations to sell Sherborne House to a private developer who may be able to enable its restoration. These talks, which include negotiating an element of public access to see the grand murals, are ongoing. The trust that have campaigned for the house for many years are still involved and hold open days and tours by appointment.
Sherborne House website
SOUTH CARADON MINE
A bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund has been submitted which would restore and consolidate these important industrial buildings. They are now waiting to hear whether that bid has been successful. It's a nervous time for campaigners and supporters, but they remain positive.
SCOTLAND
HALL OF CLESTRAIN
The campaigners recently had a set back when a grant submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund was not approved. However, this has caused the supporters to reappraise the restoration of this important site.
Rather than concentrating on a boat museum and John Rae's home, they are now just focusing initially on restoring the Hall of Clestrain, which would require a more modest sum of money. The friends group are still working hard and continue to gain support and momentum. Recently, Billy Connolly became a fellow champion of the cause.
Orkney Boat Museum website
KNOCKANDO WOOL MILL
After ten long years of campaigning the supporters behind this rare woolen mill have almost all of their funding in place to go ahead with the restoration. They have managed to secure over £3m. As soon as the restoration commences the owner will pass the site to a trust who will manage the restoration project. They plan to open the doors in Easter 2012, as a working mill and living heritage centre.
Knockando Wool Mill website
PORTENCROSS CASTLE
The Friends of Portencross Castle have had a huge success by raising over a million pounds for their building and contractors came on site in early 2009. With funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland, the Architectural Heritage Fund, and many local charities along with North Ayrshire Council, scaffolding has been erected and work is beginning on the stonework.
The structural work is due to be completed in early 2010 and they hope to have their doors open to the public in the summer of 2010.
Portencross Castle website
WALES
CARDIGAN CASTLE
Supporters had cause to celebrate over Christmas 2008 when the Castle was given a Stage 1 pass by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This resulted in a £300,000 development grant which will enable them to build up a proposal and detailed plans prior to going back to the HLF in August 2010 where they will try for a bid totalling £4.5 million and would result in a complete restoration of the site.
They have recently appointed a project officer and have had their first meetings with their HLF mentor. Supporters are expecting a busy year!
Cardigan Castle website
NEWBRIDGE MEMORIAL HALL & INSTITUTE
The supporters of the Stute and Memo had a massive blow when they were unsuccessful in their bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund, but they are certainly not defeated. The buildings remain in a poor state and now much of the intricate painted detailing is in danger of being lost - however more than 800 people still use the site every week.
Supporters have now regrouped and are putting together plans for two phases of restoration, the first to the insititute and the second to the memorial hall. The total costs of these will be over £5 million, but they have already secured funding of £430,000 and are waiting to hear from other sources of funding. They are now preparing to re apply to the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Newbridge Memorial Hall website
Y DOLYDD WORKHOUSE
Supporters were successful in securing funding from a number of sources that have enabled work to begin on site on specific focused areas rather than a general restoration of the whole site. This has also enabled the Workhouse to thrive as an arts venue.
Local people and campaigners have all been helping out so that any money spent on site has the maximum level of impact. They have a busy calendar of events and festivals planned.
Llanfyllin Workhouse website
NORTHERN IRELAND
ARMAGH GAOL
A property development company have been in talks with Armagh City & District Council about the possibility of transforming the Gaol into a luxury hotel complete with restaurants and apartments. This project would result in an end use for this historic and prominent building in the city of Armagh. (November 2008)
LOCK KEEPERS COTTAGE
This tiny but important cottage has been completely restored, but has also been incorporated into a new visitor centre and café which interprets the significance of the site within the economic and social history of Northern Ireland.
Visitors are invited to look around the tiny cottage that Dorothy McBride lived in with her family and on certain days she even gives the tours.
DERRY PLAYHOUSE
Having campaigned for years the supporters of the Playhouse managed to raise over £4.5m of funding and have now moved back into their beloved building.
The damp and decay has been swept away to reveal the two magnificent original buildings and a new addition, and inspiring copper-clad 21st Century addition that has already won an architectural award. Over 100,000 people are expected to use the building over the next year.
Derry Playhouse website
BBC History
You can find more information on all the buildings featured in Series 2 on the old Restoration website.
BBC History
More Updates
Find out what has happened to the buildings featured in Series 1
Find out what has happened to the buildings featured in Series 3
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