Nether Winchendon House is in constant need of funds for reparation and restoration.  We are fortunate to have our roofs regularly checked and repaired by Clive Sharman and Phil Wilkinson, whose inspections are meticulous and who also repair and rebuild our outbuildings and garden walls. 

The East corner of Nether Winchendon House was painstakingly rescued and repaired by them, using traditional lime mortar and hand-mixed by them with horsehair.  They finished the walls with six coats of lime wash, thus allowing movement of moisture in and out and maintaining  a healthy balance in the structure.  This is important because old buildings are inclined to move and lime mortars and renders move with them unlike cement which is inflexible and which traps moisture, leading to the accelerated decay of historic fabric. 

We are grateful to Paul Farmer, Sales Manager of OldHouseStore for his invaluable advice, numerous site visits and joyful enthusiasm for our project as well as supplying the finest quality traditional and eco-friendly  products available to keep this corner of the house in fine condition for the future.

Although Nether Winchendon House is structurally sound nearly all of the window casements will need to be replaced, many of which have lead-lights and rare heraldic stained glass as well as fine examples of Dutch and Flemish glass.  The Tower requires attention to restore it to the garden room folly for which it was intended when Sir Scrope Bernard originally designed it in the Strawberry Hill Gothick style.

We are currently seeking donations for the restoration of this important and unique Apple House. Donations to assist with this and other restoration projects can be sent to:

'The Nether Winchendon House Restoration Fund'

At the stable yard there is an unusual long room, the Grooms Room, on the upper floor, which is accessed by an external flight of wooden stairs.  This room has rows of individual small windows on two sides and a lovely old fireplace which kept the grooms warm in the cold winter months.  Grooms put their kettle over the fire and ate here in-between driving their coaches, grooming the horses, cleaning the tack and mucking out the loose boxes.  They also slept here, waiting to be called on to take the family and their guests to and from parties in the vicinity late at night. 

The Grooms Room is in need of restoration and the wooden staircase leading up to it needs to be replaced as it is sadly no longer safe to be used.  This of course means that The Grooms Room is no longer in use.
Below is the Harness Room, wooden panelled and still with saddle racks and a fireplace.  The Harness Room has been treated for wood-boring beetle infestation but also requires some less urgent restoration work.

Restoration of Entrance Piers and Gates- Re-roofing of Barn - Asbestos removal