Britain’s largest stately home Wentworth Woodhouse sold for £7m

The largest stately home in Britain, located near Rotherham, has been bought by a preservation group for £7m.

The Grade-I listed Wentworth Woodhouse has been sold to the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, which is expected to spend tens of millions of pounds to further repair and refurbish the country mansion.

The £7m purchase of the mansion and 82-acre estate was partly funded by a £3.5m grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, along with grants, pledges and donations.

The sale of the mansion and 82-acre estate was funded by grants, pledges and donations, including £3.5m from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

The trust has restoration plans for the mansion that will take upto 15 years to complete.

SAVE Britain’s Heritage, which has supported the trust, released a statement which read: “SAVE is delighted to announce that agreement has been reached with the Newbold family on the purchase of one of the finest and grandest historic houses in Britain, Wentworth Woodhouse.”

A spokesman for Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT), which was established by SAVE Britain’s Heritage, told BBC: “The long-term strategy is for the public to visit and enjoy all the most interesting parts of the property while restoring the others for revenue-earning uses such as events and holiday lets with business units in the stables.

“Traditionally a historic house of this size would have required a vast endowment.

“This business model will provide a substantial income stream intended to cover both running costs and periodic bouts of repair.”