Cannon Hall, named after its 13th-century inhabitant Gilbert Canun has evolved from a family home to a public museum.
Funded with iron industry wealth the Spencer and Spencer Stanhope families expanded and enriched the estate and today Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, owners since 1951, operate the Hall as a museum to display a nationally significant collection of fine art, furniture, decorative glass and ceramics.
Over 6-years we played a pivotal role in supporting our clients’ aspiration to increase visitor numbers, improve local community amenity, and enhance social impact. Significant value engineering by our quantity surveying team, and a collaborative approach by all stakeholders, enabled the client to deliver an increased scope of work within its initial capital budget.
Our cost planning team framed the investment ask of National Lottery Heritage Fund and others (including the Wolfson Fund). By leveraging our experience on similar projects, we ensured the clients vision was fit for funding. Having secured funding for the transformative restoration of the parklands, walled and formal gardens, historic out-buildings, and Grade II listed Bothy cottages our cost management team procured the specialist consultant and contractor delivery teams, managed the capital budget and provided critical financial governance and reporting to funders.
Sympathetically renovating the Grade II listed bothy Cottages has enabled the client to secure an important source of long-term revenue whilst delivering social impact by providing two family homes and a retail kiosk. The re-purposed deer shelter and restored historic bowling-greens enhances community amenity and provides commercial opportunity by offering an idyllic setting and boutique venue for weddings and functions.
The restored walled gardens and glass houses support horticultural and well-being experiences for community groups and, a new shop is a great meeting place for friends of the park volunteers and visitors, whilst also providing an important revenue stream.
Creating sustainable and attractive habitat whilst recognising the wider social impact that nature has on health and well-being in the local community was always a critical success factor for the client. One third of the overall budget was invested in enhancing the ecology of this English Heritage Grade II listed Garden of Special Historic Interest.
This has been achieved by dredging three lakes, the stew ponds, the fairyland pond and undertaking large-scale tree removal and wild-flower meadow planting.
This Georgian Country House and 70 acres of gardens offer visitors and the local community a glimpse into the lives of its former residents through extensive archives in the museum.
The restored walled gardens and glass houses support horticultural and well-being experiences for community groups and a new shop is a great meeting place for friends of the park volunteers and visitors, whilst also providing an important revenue stream.
| Procurement Route | Value | Services Provided |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional | £4.1m | Cost Planning, Cost Management, Quantity Surveying, quantity-surveyor |
