CPU 7277 - Newstead Abbey MEND Repair Programme - Conservation Build

2026-11-03

Nottingham City Council would like to appoint a conservation build Main Contractor to deliver a programme of urgent repairs at Newstead Abbey. Newstead Abbey is Grade 1 Listed and a Scheduled Monument. It is internationally significant for its unique association with the poet Lord Byron and as a site of immense historical and architectural importance. The Abbey, set in 300 acres of parkland, is an excellent example of an English country house built on the site of the former Augustinian Abbey following the dissolution of the monasteries. The Abbey retains the original medieval cloisters, one of only a handful of surviving examples in the country. The West Front is the original façade of the old priory church and dates back to 1274, and the house is a fine example of the early 19th Century Gothic Revival. The Abbey and park were gifted to Nottingham City Museums (NCM) in 1931. It has operated as a museum since with maintenance costs met by the City Council. The Abbey is home to NCM's house collection, costume and textile collection and Designated lace collection. The Abbey is on the Heritage at Risk Register due to the poor condition of the House. A 2014 condition survey by Purcell stated then that repairs to the roofs was urgent. A decade later (roofs unable to be repaired due to cost) the condition of the building caused by further ingress has deteriorated to the degree that propping of internal public areas has become necessary due to the danger of ceilings collapsing. It is essential the repair work is carried out within the project's timeframe otherwise the site is at serious risk. The full programme of repairs will be delivered over five phases. This tender is for Phase 1 works only which includes: • Upgraded fire and security alarms throughout the Abbey House. • Replace life-expired lead and copper roofs to the Cloisters and Salon • Upgrade lightening protection • Expand and upgrade the visitor toilets • Remove, or reduce the height of, a redundant water tank in the Sussex Tower and reinstate the roof at the original level • Redesign and install fit for purpose rainwater goods Phase 1 repair programme is externally grant funded by Arts Council England's Museum Estate and Development Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Full details of the requirements and schedule of works can be located within the tender pack.

United Kingdom (UK)

2026-04-02