July 2016 Newsletter Final 140716
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1929 Northwood House Newsletter Northwood House Newsletter Nearly 90 years ago the Ward family gifted Northwood House and Park to Cowes Urban District Council. With your support it will continue to contribute to the community reflecting the vibrancy and history of the Isle of Wight. ISSUE 6: Dear friends and supporters The next big dates in the diary are the SUMMER 2016 As we prepare for the various events in Island Highland the House and Park our extended team Gathering and Tennis in the all hope Summer sunshine prevails Country Fayre on Park 2 for the community events and private the 24th of July, weddings that fill the calendar. and of course the Recent Events 3 pinnacle of our year Update on I hope most of you were able to join in – Cowes Week from the House & the Patron’s day festivities on 12th June. 6th - 14th of August. Buildings 4 There has been great feedback from the Cowes community about the impact of Around and about Park News 6 our decoration works in the House, and the Estate we are the fabulous work of our volunteers that making changes. Park Trees 7 make the Park a glorious space to spend You will soon see Dates for your time on a Summer’s day. We hope the updates to the main signs on Ward Avenue, and the diary 8 great facilities at Northwood House and landscaping by St Mary’s entrance has been improved Park will be used to host many more making that aspect of the House much more pleasing to Cowes Week events that unite our community. the eye. calendar 8 Inspired by Weddings at Wimbledon? Try Northwood House Tennis in the park. During May and June the House has hosted 12 marriage parties. We have six beautiful tennis courts in Each celebration is unique and the Park, overlooking the sea. As part our team are keen to ensure of the Charity, they are run by a team hosts and guests thoroughly of volunteers, who maintain them and enjoy their time on the Estate. ensure they are available for everyone. We are very pleased that our application If you have friends, relatives or We have recently installed six brand new for initial funding to start restoration colleagues planning a special day nets and are now mending the fence. The on Church Lodge has been successful. put them in touch. lines will also be repainted. The courts The initial grant of £10,000 will fund a [email protected] are completely free to use. feasibility study for the restoration and return to use of the John Nash designed During the Summer we have informal lodge that sits on the edge of the estate. tennis group sessions on Tuesdays at The lodge was built in 1816 as part of Calling all volunteers 6 pm, when you can turn up and join Nash’s major works at St Mary’s Church in with us. The standard ranges from constructing of a family mausoleum We welcome help in the Park and beginners to experienced players. All are and the church tower for the owner of House for the events, whether it welcome. Northwood House, George Ward. is car park marshalling or helping with the refreshments. Alternatively, why not join Local Tennis We hope you will all spread the word, Leagues? This is a great way to meet that the Park is open to all to enjoy, and Our volunteers meet monthly. other tennis players for friendly games. everyone is welcome to the events we For details of the next The Isle of Wight has just joined - go hold – from the monthly car boot sales, meeting contact volunteers@ on line at: ‘localtennisleagues.com’ and to our social events and annual fairs and northwoodhouse.org and bring sign up to find local people to play. festivals. Bring a friend next time you a friend to join in! Northwood House is a registered venue. visit. See Park News on page 6, if you Our email is: Janet Allan, Chairman would like to help in the gardens. [email protected] Recent Events Big Lunch and Patron’s Day picnic on 12th June Our third Big Lunch in the Park and celebrations to mark the Queen’s 90th Birthday were a great success and we were delighted that Northwood House was chosen to be the centre of the Cowes community gathering. The stalls charity auction and competitions raised funds for selected Cowes Charities includeding Sea Cadets, RNLI, and the Ellen Macarthur Trust. Cabaret Evening on 22nd June Monthly Giant Car Boot Our first cabaret club evening was a great success attracting nearly 70 revellers to Sales the Ball Room. Look out for dates of the Continue to attract bargain hunters. Look next event. out for the next ones on 31st July, 4th September and 2nd October. Refreshments & Toilets are available. 9 am for sellers (£5 car £10 Van) 10 am for buyers (entry free) to the old building. Three brick walls were its heavy rim were no longer fixed to the Update essentially floating in space above the original wood frame. bar. We have inserted over 120 eighteen on the This together with the weight of the inch stainless steel pins to fix the dome chandelier, the rotten beams and the into a complete new inner wood frame normal timber creep of a 200 year old and then inserted over 60 flexible straps House & building led to an uncomfortable sinking (along with the two 7 metre beams, 4 feeling in the corridors above the bar. heavy weight cables and 2 smaller steel The 4” drop turned out to be well over 6” beams). It is now secure, and not going Buildings as past occupants had already levelled anywhere for a very long time. Job done. the floor at least once before. The Coastal Revival Fund grant combined with the Charity’s own funds, have allowed us to complete all the major structural work in the ceiling, walls and roof around the central bar area. A voyage of discovery As we started to open the fabric and peel back the years to look inside the very core of the House; we were surprised, and initially worried by what we found. We knew that there had been a lot of water in the area and that one of the main beams had dropped due to a rotten Fixing the dome ceiling Repairing the paintwork wall plate, we also found that a significant When we started to clean the bar ceiling Vicky Salter then performed some number of the main 9” floor joists had we also found that the cracks were larger camouflage magic, repaired all the rotted. We discovered that the architect than first thought. It was possible to cracks, some of which ran right across and builder who added the new Rotunda reach up and shake hands with people the dome, and ‘lost’ all the engineering wing in 1838 had been somewhat on the first floor! We also discovered that support holes – the bar ceiling now looks cavalier when he joined the new building the plaster work forming the dome and fantastic. Look up at the ceiling in the main The main staircase upgraded the heaters, added sockets and corridors you’ll see the gilding work The final part of the project was to changed 162 light bulbs from 40 watt to that has been done. Take a moment to redecorate the main staircase, repairing LEDs, saving the House around £2 a day. look up and you will notice that the four the ceiling, (which had suffered from cracked, or broken, curved Georgian water leaks), and the corner of the You will realise that it was a significant glass panes, and the 9 double curved staircase towards the Rotunda. When and complicated project to protect and domed Georgian domed glass panels, we looked behind the spindles on the preserve the House. My thanks to the have also been replaced. Several glass faux balustrade we found that the panels Steve Andrews and team from SJS, Vicky manufacturers told us that it was were completely rotten and open to the Salter from Historic Restorations, Steve impossible to make these today; how we outside. All these had to be removed, the Dunford and his team, John Sutton from achieved it is now a trade secret. walls rebuilt and then put back. Elmstone Design who, while standing on the scaffolding with me in the main bar, refused to panic at any stage. Thanks to Lee Byrne from the IOW Council whose support during the project was most appreciated. On a building as old, complex as Northwood House, that lacked investment for many years maintenance work and restoration will make a continuous call on the Trust’s resources. One major item that we urgently need to address is the parapet walls above the Rotunda, which must be repaired, sealed and secured. In addition to the Dining Room restoration restoration of Church Lodge we are We started the restoration of the skirting working with HLF on refurbishing the and panels in the Dining room. Vicky servants’ quarters and planning is well peeled off each original canvas painted advanced on the Heritage Visitors Centre. panel (the first one was a moment), re- glued and re-fitted to repair them. Tim Wander We also fixed some electrical problems, and husband Gordon look after flower beds and strimming; Paul cuts grass Park and disposes of brashwood with wife Carol, who also does the shrubbery; Nick takes responsibility for the trees, News shrubs and hedges aided by his wife Jan; Priscilla, Dave and Cilla maintain the herbaceous border and grow plants in the greenhouse; Shirley creates the The Park Team displays in the planters; David keeps the When the Friends of Northwood House paths clear of leaves and weeds.