Recent achievements

Structural repairs to The Folly

2019

Essential repairs to the roof of the North Range garage, preventing water ingress and potentially serious damage to the roof support timbers
Cost: c£28,000

2020

Strengthening the timber frame in parts of the north range.
Cost: £18,000 (supported by generous donations from individual donors and the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line)

Improvements to fire safety, including fireboarding vulnerable ceilings and fitting new fire doors.
Cost: £10,000 (with generous assistance from Yor4Good)

2021

Oblique view of the newly-repointed facade of The Folly, Settle

In March, Pendle Stained Glass carried out specialist glazing repairs to the iconic windows on the front elevation of The Folly.
Cost: £35,000 (supported by a Heritage Emergency Fund award from National Lottery Heritage Fund)

By the end of May, Woodsbuild Heritage Ltd had repointed the front elevation using hot lime mortar, overhauled roofs, flashings and rainwater goods to the east and west elevations, and repaired chimneys and internal plasterwork affected by water ingress. Renovations enabled new office accommodation to be formed in the North Range.
Cost: £93,000 (supported by a Heritage Emergency Fund award from National Lottery Heritage Fund and a Heritage at Risk award from Historic England)

2022

Arch above a staircase supported by wooden propping. A large crack appears in the face of the wall above the arch, with a worm-eaten timber truss above it.
Tower arch before repairs

Museum Estates and Development (MEND) scheme
Funding of £270,501 was allocated by DCMS/Arts Council England and Historic England. Match funding was secured with assistance from the Sylvia Waddilove Foundation, North Craven Heritage Trust, the Harold & Alice Bridges Charity and through generous donations by many individuals to a public appeal.
Cost: £303,000

MEND Phase 1 (completed May 2022):
Consolidation of the masonry arch above the central staircase was carried out by R. N. Wooler Ltd., using Cintec anchors and helical crack stitch bars, followed by repointing.

2023

MEND Phase 2 (completed December 2023):

  • Repointing and glazing repairs to the rear and south elevations
  • Repointing and repairs to tower masonry
  • Repairs to roofs, roofing timbers, flashings and rainwater goods
  • Drainage repairs
  • Rebuilding of south boundary wall to garden

Tower roof repair

Overhaul of tower roof, leadwork and rainwater goods (completed September 2023)
Funding of £10,584 generously provided by the Historic Houses Foundation.
Actual Cost: £36,506 (scaffolding funded via ACE MEND grant)

Tower roof before repair
Tower under scaffolding
Repair completed

2024

MEND Phase 3 (completed April 2024):

  • Repairs to internal plasterwork on all three floors of the South range and on the main staircase
  • Redecoration

Other development

Parlour Activity/Meeting Room

Renovation of the Parlour to form an Activity/Meeting Room on the ground floor of the south range.
It was opened on 21 June 2017.

View of a newly-installed catering kitchen

New catering facilities

Creation of The Folly Coffee House on the ground floor of the north range (previously occupied by a holiday let). The Coffee House opened on 21 June 2017.

Construction of a new kitchen in the North Range garage (former brewhouse) was completed in May 2021 by 2021 Tiplady Darwin Ltd.
Cost: £100,000 (supported by a Heritage Emergency Fund award from National Lottery Heritage Fund)

Relocation of stores

Fitting out of a new large object store and removal of reserve collections and archives from the former Chapel Street store to new on-site storage was completed in October 2019.
Cost: £6,000

Heritage Discovery Centre

New interpretative displays on the built heritage of North Craven and the Ingleborough Dales, designed by Redman Design of Ilkley were completed in February 2019.
Cost: £20,000 (with support from ‘Stories in Stone’ and other Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust funding programmes)

Garden Improvements

Phase 1: Improved accessibility of the garden and redesign to include an outdoor seating area for the Coffee House, suitable for hosting events, was completed in August 2018.
Cost: £2,000 (Supported by the Sir George Martin Trust)

Phase 2: Redesign of pathways and planting to make better use of the space, with emphasis on safe access, sustainable methods and materials, and installation of a new garden shed.
Cost: £2,000 (Supported by the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust)

Further funding is required for Phase 3 (reinstatement of garden after building works).
Estimated Cost: £50,000