English Heritage gets into Self-catering

[kevin wooldridge]

Thought BAJRites might like this (cribbed from the Soc. Antiques website). Never let it be said that English Heritage doesn't have the best interests of English heritage at heart....

English Heritage has joined the National Trust, the Landmark Trust and the Vivat Trust in offering self-catering accommodation on the historic properties that it owns. Booking for the first five properties opens on 27 February. They include a three-bedroomed Georgian house in the grounds of Dover Castle and Pavilion Cottage, built for officer cadets attending the Royal Naval College, in the grounds of Osborne House (here guests will have access to a private beach once reserved exclusively for the use of Queen Victoria). Other properties include a one-bedroomed apartment in the Custodian?s House at Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, Cornwall, and a cottage at St Mawes Castle, Cornwall, both with stunning sea vistas, and Abbey Cottage at Riveaulx Abbey, North Yorkshire.

Prices start at ?230 for a three-night weekend break, including a hamper of local produce, EH toiletries, discount vouchers for EH shops and property entrance. Further details are available on the English Heritage website.

A further twenty-five properties will open by 2008 (including on located in the former police station in London?s Marble Arch) and the long-term aim is to have one hundred properties in total. EH says that guests will enjoy five-star luxury: a ?100,000 renovation budget has been allocated to each property, with the promise of modernist interiors and handmade English furniture and hi-tech facilities such as wireless internet access, digital radios and flat-screen TVs.

[BAJR Host]

Or come to stay at BAJR burrow for only 5 quid a night, bring your own bottle and sleep on the well appointed kitchen floor.... - well.... I need my cat looked after when I am away!

Another day another WSI?

[Curator Kid]

"Modernist" interiors in historic properties???

For the ?100,000 budget of just one of these renovations, I could pay two or three extra staff for a year and initiate partnership funding for a number of projects that would help guarantee the future of a good chunk of the historic resource of my County.

[star-nosed mole]

I think its just a way of generating some much-needed income from other sources. Shows the EH know that little money comes their way from central gov, and less will come in the future, so they have to make some money elsewhere. Could be a nice little earner... I just hope the money will be ploughed back in where its needed.

By the way, the marble arch bit is pure baloney

[archae_logical]

quote:Originally posted by star-nosed mole

I think its just a way of generating some much-needed income from other sources.

And just what I needed for one of my assignments. Thanks EH.

E

[disheartened]

There's a company running something similar here, the Irish Landmark Trust http://www.irishlandmark.com Some of my friends have stayed with them, and have nothing but good reports. Anyway, how often can you say you whiled away your weekend in a lighthouse or a medieval castle!