Renovation hopes raised for ruined William Adam villa

HOPES have been raised that a now derelict former 18th century villa near Edinburgh – designed by renowned architect, William Adam – might be about to be renovated.

Says a charitable trust set up to save Mavisbank House – just outside the town of Loanhead, south of Edinburgh – the building has been a ruined shell since a fire ripped through it in 1973.

But now, building conservation charity, The Landmark Trust, has received encouragement from the grant-giving body, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, which has reportedly accepted an ‘expression of interest’ application.

Says the Mavisbank Trust, here: “Over the past 20 years, several attempts have been made by the Mavisbank Trust and its partners to secure the necessary funding for a major restoration project.

“However, plans have always been thwarted by issues such as the unknown ownership of the house and very limited access via its three drives which are in private hands.

“Having submitted its ‘Expression of Interest’ to the NHMF, the Landmark Trust – which has a long record of rescuing historic buildings – has now been invited to make a full grant application to secure funding for an initial phase of building restoration work.”

Adds The Landmark Trust, here: “An NHMF grant in the region of £5m would enable [us] to pursue phase one of a fresh plan to give Mavisbank House a vibrant and sustainable future. This vital phase would see the crumbling building and pavilions stabilised before any more historic fabric falls away, enable up-to-date condition surveys and resolve the long-standing ownership and access issues.”

Picture credit: Mavisbank Trust

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