The aims of the Charity are:
“to preserve for the benefit of the people of the Parish of Whittington, Shropshire and of the Nation (“the beneficiaries”), the historic, architectural and constructional heritage that may exist in and around the Parish of Whittington, Shropshire (“the area of benefit”) in buildings (including any building as defined in Section 336 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990) of particular beauty or historical, architectural or constructional interest, the restoration, renovation and conservation of gardens, parkland, planned landscapes and estates directly related to such buildings, including but without limiting the generality of the foregoing acquiring, renovating, restoring and utilising for the benefit of the beneficiaries the structure, curtilages, site and environs of Whittington Castle, Whittington, Shropshire and to educate the general public in the geography. history, natural history, architecture and economic and social history of the area of benefit (“the Objects”)”
Company References
A Company Registered in England and Wales and Limited by Guarantee
Company Registration No: 3688770
Registered Charity No: 1075248
A member of the Association of Preservation Trusts www.ukapt.org.uk/
Milestones
|
August 1998 |
Community Trust conceived |
|
September 1998 |
Steering group formed between representatives of Whittington Parish Council and Oswestry Borough Council |
|
7 December 1998 |
inaugural Public meeting held |
|
24 December 1998 |
Trust incorporated as a company limited by guarantee |
|
25 January 1999 |
First extraordinary meeting of the trust |
|
16 March 1999 |
18 month license to manage the Castle and site acquired |
|
10 April 1999 |
Open day |
|
26 April 1999 |
Trust formally registered as a charity |
|
4 May 1999 |
Affiliated with the Association of Preservation Trusts |
|
2 June 1999 |
Enrolled with Entrust as an environmental body under landfill tax regulations |
|
5 July 1999 |
Consultant team started work on feasibility study |
|
24 July 1999 |
Inaugural Medieval Fayre |
|
27-29 July 1999 |
Consultant team on site |
|
31 August 1999 |
Draft study report delivered to the Trust |
|
3 September 1999 |
Open air concert at the Castle |
|
8 September 1999 |
Trust met to consider draft report |
|
September 1999 |
Millennium Awards for All grant awarded |
|
November 1999 |
£18,000 funding for urgent repair works secured |
|
8 December 1999 |
Second public meeting |
|
May 2000 |
first meeting between trustees and Castle owners |
|
10 May 2000 |
First AGM of the Trust with guest speaker, Paul Renfry, Historian and Author. |
|
June 2000 |
Second Medieval Fayre |
|
June 2000 |
Second opinion sought on valuation July 2000 Urgent repair works completed |
|
1 September 2000 |
“Open air” concert held in Community centre due to rain |
|
30 September 2000 |
End of initial license period. License extended to give more time for negotiations |
|
November 2000 |
Second meeting between Trustees and Castle owners |
|
31 Jan 2001 |
EGM of Trust to discuss revised terms for acquisition |
|
21 February 2001 |
Third Public Meeting |
|
April 2001 |
Oswestry Borough Council approve £10,000 grant towards acquisition costs |
|
3 July 2001 |
Second AGM of the Trust with guest speaker, David Preston of Oswestry Town Council |
|
11 August 2001 |
Book signing at the Castle by award winning author of romantic fiction Elizabeth Chadwick |
|
November 2001 |
Geophysical survey of Medieval garden |
|
28 January 2002 |
Countryside Agency award Trust a project preparation grant under the doorstep green scheme |
|
19 March 2002 |
Council of management of the AHF approve application for £10,000 loan towards acquisition costs |
|
May 2004 |
HLF bid for £950k submitted |
|
30 September 2004 |
Sponsorship from Richard Burbidge Ltd announced |
|
30 September 2004 |
Launch of public appeal to raise £200k needed to bridge funding gap |
|
November 2005 |
Repair and restoration work commences |
|
4 May 2007 |
Castle handed back to the Trust after completion of building project |
|
14 June 2007 |
Official re-opening of the Castle by HRH Duke of Gloucester |
FUNDING
A project of the scale and complexity of Whittington Castle and its grounds requires significant capital and revenue funding.
Whittington Castle Preservation Trust is very grateful for the funding it has received from the following organisations
Start up and running costs
Whittington Parish Council £1000
Friends of Whittington Castle £6000
Architectural Heritage Fund Project Administration grant £4000
Feasibility study
English Heritage £8200
Architectural Heritage Fund £7500 Shropshire Tourism Consortium £2000
Oswestry Borough Council £1200
Shropshire County Council £2000
Total £20,900
Urgent repair works
Oswestry Borough Council (Historic Building Fund) £3600
Oswestry Community Action Grant £2000
Shropshire County Council (ERDF) £3500
Dilapidations owed £8300
Whittington Castle Preservation Trust £600
Total £18,000
Miscellaneous awards
1999 – National Lottery (Millennium awards for all) used to purchase IT equipment £3000
2001 – National Lottery (Awards for all) used to purchase grounds maintenance equipment £5000
2002 – Project Preparation Grant from the Countryside Agency under the Doorstep Greens Scheme £3122
Total £9,122
Acquisition
Oswestry Borough Council £10000
Oswestry Community Tourism Initiative £10000
Total £20,000
Preparation of a Conservation Plan
English Heritage £4000
Leader £30000
Shropshire County Council £8000
Total £42,000
The Trust continues to pursue funding opportunities to secure the funding required to implement its conservation plan.
