South Tower on Wentworth Woodhouse's grand Palladian front to be restored

Ever walked past a huge, grand old house and wondered what it's like inside? Not just the fancy ballrooms, but the secret spots, the hidden rooms where the really interesting stuff happened. Well, in South Yorkshire, there's a mansion so massive it makes Buckingham Palace look a bit small, and one of its most special rooms is in a race against time. The Landmark Trust, a charity that saves amazing old buildings, has just launched a fundraising appeal to rescue a crumbling part of Wentworth Woodhouse called the South Tower. The plan? A complete restoration to turn it into an incredible holiday apartment, giving a piece of history a new life.

A house with a story to tell

Wentworth Woodhouse isn't just any big house; it's a proper statement. Built by the first and second Marquesses of Rockingham, it was finished by 1748 and designed to show off power and influence. With a front longer than the Queen's London pad and stunningly opulent interiors, this was the place for legendary parties in the 18th century. But like many great stories, this one has a sad chapter. After its glory days, the mansion fell into a state of serious decay. Coal mining in the 1940s and 50s came dangerously close, and after a series of family tragedies, the house was nearly demolished. For a while, it was used as a PE college for women, but that ended in 1988. After that, the magnificent building was left to crumble, becoming a derelict mansion whose future looked very bleak. That was until the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT) stepped in. A group of campaigners formed the trust in 2014 and, after a huge effort, managed to buy the house in 2017 to begin the massive job of preservation and restoration.

The marchioness's secret spot

Tucked away at the most southerly point of this enormous mansion is the South Tower. And inside this tower is a truly special room. Think of it as a secret hideaway. Back in the day, this was the personal retreat of the second Marchioness of Rockingham, Mary Watson-Wentworth. In an age of grand, formal rooms, this was her space. It was a place she probably used in the summer, with incredible views across the grounds from its huge windows. In the mid-1770s, she had the architect John Carr of York finish the room with beautiful plasterwork, a marble chimney, and a stunning decorative ceiling. It was her office and her chill-out zone. This was where she’d write letters, many to her husband, who was Prime Minister twice. The room is a rare example of 18th century female taste, a personal stamp on a building filled with masculine pomp. Getting to it even feels special, via its own private footbridge. It’s a perfect little escape pod from another time, a piece of living history that shows another side to this grand mansion.

What happens when history starts to crumble

The problem is, time hasn't been kind to the South Tower. While the WWPT carried out urgent repairs to the outside of the tower in 2022, the inside is still in big trouble. The once opulent plasterwork is crumbling away. The beautiful ceiling the Marchioness designed has been completely lost, replaced for now with black plastic sheeting to keep the weather out. Worse still, a nasty thing called dry rot, which is a bit like a fungus that eats wood, is spreading through the staircase and the floor. A gorgeous marble panel carved by the famous sculptor Joseph Nollekens had to be removed just to keep it safe. The whole space is suffering from damp and decay. Without help, this unique piece of 18th century history will simply disappear. This is why the need for expert building conservation is so urgent; the decay won't wait.

A new chapter for the south tower

This is where the Landmark Trust comes in. They are experts in building conservation, taking on at-risk historic buildings and giving them a future. Working with the WWPT, they have a brilliant plan for the South Tower. The idea is to carry out a full restoration, bringing the Marchioness's parlour back to its former glory. This isn't just a lick of paint. They plan to use traditional 18th-century skills, bringing in the best craftspeople to do the job. They'll even use old photos to recreate the lost ceiling, piece by piece. Once the restoration is complete, the tower will be turned into a unique self-catering holiday let for two. The main parlour will become a drawing and dining room, with a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom created in the rooms next door. It’s a sustainable model: the money from people staying there will pay for its upkeep forever. The project relies on a new fundraising appeal to make it happen, a mission to stop the decay and protect this important part of Wentworth Woodhouse for everyone.

A vision for the future

Dr Anna Keay OBE, the Director of the Landmark Trust, knows just how special this project is. The restoration of this part of the Wentworth mansion is a key focus.

"There really is nowhere that compares to Wentworth Woodhouse. This monumental Palladian palace in South Yorkshire is a miraculous survival. When I first saw this fascinating room a few years ago, I was struck by its combination of grandeur and intimacy, the glorious views south and west from its soaring sash windows, and by the perilous condition in which it stood. Two things were immediately clear: it needed urgent action to arrest its decay and – if we could just raise the necessary funds – it would make the most spell-binding place to stay."

Becoming part of the story

The great news is that this dream is already well on its way to becoming a reality. Thanks to some very generous early donations, over 70% of the money for the restoration is already in place. But there's still a gap to fill. The Landmark Trust needs to raise a final £303,000 through this fundraising appeal to get the project over the line. If they can raise the money over the next few months, work could start on the South Tower this summer. That would mean this incredible historic space could be ready for people to book and stay in by 2027. This isn't just about saving one room; it's about supporting the much bigger preservation effort at Wentworth, arguably one of the most ambitious historic building projects of our time. It's a chance to stop the decay and create something truly special, a place where anyone can stay and experience a piece of history first-hand, watching as the rest of this magnificent derelict mansion slowly comes back to life.