Cannon Hall Barnsley: Historic garden wall in South Yorkshire to be saved by £55,000 government grant

An 18th century garden wall at a South Yorkshire country home is to be saved from imminent collapse thanks to a £55,000 grant from Historic England.

The brick wall surrounds Cannon’s Hall’s kitchen garden, near Cawthorne, Barnsley, which was built in 1760 and forms part of the former stately home’s Grade II listed grounds. 

Lined with fruit trees, some of which date from the 18th century, the garden was used to produce fruit and vegetables for the Spencer family who owned Cannon Hall until 1951.

Built from handmade bricks, a large section of the garden wall is at risk of collapsing, which led to the site being added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register in 2023.

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Managed by Barnsley Museums, Cannon Hall is a popular attraction, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, who come to walk around its stunning park and gardens. 

There has been substantial investment in the repair and maintenance in Cannon Hall’s gardens in recent years. However, Barnsley Museums had not been able to access the funding for the wall repairs until Historic England awarded the grant.

The £55,000 grant will fund the careful dismantling of the damaged section of the wall brick by brick, which will then be used to rebuild the wall in the traditional style, using lime mortar.

Bryan Davies, from Historic England, said: “Cannon Hall is a lovely heritage destination that is enjoyed by many visitors free of charge. This grant will allow critical repair work to take place, enabling the public to once again enjoy the perimeter walk around the kitchen garden and facilitating the removal of the gardens from the Heritage at Risk Register.”

Jon Finch, head of culture and visitor economy at Barnsley Council, said: "We are delighted to receive this generous funding from Historic England, which will enable us to restore and repair this historic 18th century wall.

“Cannon Hall is a well-loved attraction that was visited by almost one million people last year and this investment will preserve it for generations to come.”