MP MATT Western donned his hard hat for a tour of one of Warwick’s most cherished medieval buildings as it undergoes a multi-million-pound refurbishment.
The 700-year-old Lord Leycester, built by the Warwick Guilds and set up in the Elizabethan age as a charity for deserving soldiers, is set to re-open its doors this summer after a £4.8million major capital works project.
The project will repair and improve the Lord Leycester for tourists and is funded in part by a £2million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
To mark English Tourism Week, south Warwickshire’s tourism board, Shakespeare’s England, co-ordinated the visit by Mr Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington. The visit was hosted by the Lord Leycester’s first female Master, Dr Heidi Meyer.
The multi-million-pound grant will be used to transform the Lord Leycester into a modern, authentic visitor attraction, featuring a permanent exhibition that showcases stories of the heritage buildings, and its residents past and present.
It will also include developing exciting new historical interpretations throughout the buildings, gardens and online, plus a new gift shop, cafe, and ticket office.
Visitors saw first-hand some of the major works being done to inject a new lease of life into the building, while respecting and preserving its historical architecture.
This has included widening walkways and installing a lift to make the second-floor Guildhall – which is the ancient meeting room for the Guilds of Warwick – accessible to everybody.
Heidi said: “The Lord Leycester is one of the oldest and most important medieval sites in Europe. It is an undiscovered gem that with this major improvement project we want to put on the map as a must-see heritage site in Warwickshire.”
Matt added: “It was a real privilege to visit the Lord Leycester in Warwick and see the renovation works up close. There is real craftsmanship in the detail of what they’re doing.
“Heidi and the team are working tirelessly to transform this piece of history into an attraction that will showcase the fascinating history of the site and sit firmly on the tourism map in our region.
“I really look forward to returning in the summer to see the completed renovations.”
Darren Tosh, from Shakespeare’s England, is tipping the newly-renovated Lord Leycester to be a roaring success with visitors to the town.
He said: “This year’s theme for English Tourism Week is focused on highlighting amazing attractions on our doorstep, and the Lord Leycester is just that.
“It is one of the UK’s best preserved medieval buildings that is steeped in history, and is a major jewel in the Warwick crown.
“Once it has fully re-opened I’ve no doubt that the new visitor offer will be a major addition to Warwick’s tourism portfolio.”
