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WONDERFUL NEWS - We have got a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund of £1.85M, towards the restoration of the Gaskells' House

THE HOUSE IS NOW CLOSED and will re-open in the summer of 2014.Work has almost finished  on the disabled access and the lower ground floor and the main building work will begin in March.

Further information is available from Janet Allan
10 Dale Road, New Mills, High Peak, Derbyshire SK22 4NW
Telephone/fax 01663 744233
Email janetrallan@gmail.com

Events

Wednesday 15 May 2013,
Tracking Progress of Modernism in British Painting from the Late 1880s to 1920s
a guided tour at Manchester Art Gallery by Nirvana Romell

The tour will look at events which brought about the mind shift which allowed true freedom of expression. The cost of the tour is £5.

Meet 10.30 for coffee (cost not included) and collection of monies.
The tour starts at 11am.

There are 22 spaces available for the tour, if interested please contact, Pat Barnard pat.barnard@live.co.uk

The Gaskells' House,
84 Plymouth Grove, Manchester

In the North West of England, outside the Lake District, 84 Plymouth Grove is a building of literary significance second only to the Brontë Parsonage at Haworth; it is therefore of international, national and local importance. It is one of very few Regency-style Villas left in Manchester, and has many original features and beautiful public rooms.

Importance of the Building
84 Plymouth Grove is a Grade II* detached Regency-style Villa built in the 1830’s. It is a rare survival of its type, being complete in nearly all its internal features in the main rooms and with an exterior which has been little changed. As a grade II* it is among the top 7% of buildings in this country. Architecturally it has a special significance to Manchester as it is one of the few surviving houses of its type in the area.

Importance of its Literary Associations
As the home of Elizabeth Gaskell the novelist from 1850-65, and of her family unti1 1913, the house has very important literary associations, not only with her own work (most of which was written during that period), but because of the other writers who visited her there, including Charles Dickens and Charlotte Brontë.

Future uses of the building
The main reception rooms will be open to the public and used for lectures, exhibitions and seminars. Once restored, the building must be self-financing, so other parts will be let to provide the necessary income. We have already had approaches from two organisations who are interested in using it when completed.

Manchester Historic Buildings Trust
Manchester Historic Buildings Trust, through partnerships with others, is working on the restoration of the building which will act as a flagship for the regeneration of a socially disadvantaged area, encourage the study of Elizabeth Gaskell's works and of Victorian Manchester, and have an economically viable future.

The exterior of the house has now been restored to its former glory;  no longer will it be known as "The Pink House" being now restored to its original stone colour. Essential structural repairs have been completed, including the drains, the floors and the heating Minimal temporary repairs to the ground floor mean that this is now open to visitors, until further notice A bid will soon be going in to the Heritage Lottery fund for a further £2.6M to complete the restoration. The ground floor and gardens will be restored to the  way it was in the time when the Gaskell family lived there. The first floor and lower ground floor will be restored to provide community facilities.  Fund raising is ongoing to find the last few thousands of pounds required for match funding.  Any contributions  will be gratefully received and can be sent to the Chairman of the Trust, Janet Allan, address below

Company Number 3578992
Charity Number 1080606

Chairman: Janet Allan
10 Dale Road, New Mills, High Peak, Derbyshire SK22 4NW
Telephone/fax 01663 744233
Email janetrallan@gmail.com

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Gaskell House

You can help by joining the Friends of 84 Plymouth Grove. We need help with the house, with our plans for the future and with fundraising. You will get news of progress and special events. To become a Friend
and help with a donation click below to download a form in Adobe pdf format.
Print it off, fill it in and send it to us. Help us do something special!

The Drawing Room 1897

The house 1913

84 Plymouth Grove 1959