Rebecca (Bec) Evans usual remit at Fountains was “Visitor Experience”, but recently she had been Acting General Manager while Justin Scully was looking after the other Yorkshire properties for several months. She showed us a picture of Helios – the temporary sun sculpture installation, a new venture, which had been in the Nave at Fountains recently. This attraction had increased visitor numbers over the four days by approximately 10,000.
The monthly visitor survey has resulted in many positive comments about the Quiet garden at Fountains, which we have funded, especially its accessibility with the new ramp. Good to know.
She explained how works being undertaken at Fountains are costly:
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- The dredging of the Half Moon Reservoir alone will cost £350,00 as part of the Skell Valley Project, in removing 15,000 cubic metres of silt with works between February and April 2026.
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- The Garden Buildings Project will last a few years costing £70,000 renovating the Temple of Piety and the Fishing Tabernacle, as well as a further £15,000 undertaking surveys of the Banqueting Hall – mostly to correct 1960’s renovations which used the wrong sort of plaster, mortar and render.
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- Of the few paintings at Fountains Hall, the restoration of the Mallory family painting of some early post Reformation owners of the estate, has been started to remove overpainting and lacquer after a £36,000 grant. A further £5,000 bequest has enabled some renovation of the Sultan of Surat painting. – The Studley Revealed project aims to improve visitor facilities at the Studley Water Garden part of the Estate, including an interpretation space to show the history of the gardens and display some of the (few) objects found. It will start 2026 and estimated to cost around £5million.
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We all enjoyed the talk and Helen Stalker, on behalf of the Harrogate & The Dale Association, gave Bec a cheque for the NT for £2,500, which you have raised.