North Craven Building Preservation Trust

The following press items relating the Appeal have been published:

 


Appeal Launch (16 July 2011): Craven Herald (21 July 2011): article and leader

Items below reproduced with permission of and thanks to The Craven Herald (www.cravenherald.co.uk)

 

Appeal: Playwright Alan Bennett gazes out of the rain-soaked windows of The Folly (JPG, 57Kb).  Click on the image to link to the newspaper article on the Craven Herald's website  at http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/.  Reproduced with permission of and thanks to The Craven Herald (http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/) and Stephen Garnett
Appeal: Playwright Alan Bennett gazes out of the rain-soaked windows of The Folly.
Click on the image to link to the newspaper article on the Craven Herald's website at http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/.
Reproduced with permission of and thanks to The Craven Herald (www.cravenherald.co.uk) and Stephen Garnett

Article

 

thumbnail of article (JPG, approx 4kb); click for larger image (PDF) (approx 1Mb, opens in new browser window)

Bennett launches £1.6m appeal to preserve Folly

Playwright Alan Bennett has launched a £1.6 million appeal to help preserve one of Craven's most important buildings for future generations.

The world renowned writer, who has a home in North Craven, is the figurehead of the fundraising drive aimed at restoring The Folly in Settle to its former glory, turning it into a building that the whole community can use.

The Folly was built in the late 1670s by Richard Preston, a wealthy lawyer, and since then it has been everything from a doctor's surgery to a fish and chip shop.

In 1996, parts of the building - the Hall and South Ranges - were purchased by the North Craven Building Preservation Trust and following a major restoration they were opened as the Museum of North Craven Life in 2001. In 2010, the remainder of the building - the North Range - was bought by the trust, supported by a loan from the Architectural Heritage Fund.

The Trust is now hoping to raise £625,000 to repay the loan and a further £1 million to provide an Endowment Fund to generate a regular income for the vital maintenance of the Grade One listed building.

Mr Bennett, who is president of the Trust, spoke to invited guests at the official launch of The Folly Appeal on Saturday.

He described The Folly as an "architectural pick and mix" that "looks older than it is", adding: "It is a most distinguished if rather eccentric building, and the only building in Settle which is grade one listed. It is much loved in Settle, but is a rather uncharacteristic building."

However, he added: "We want support for this, not simply because it's a wonderful building and it's not to preserve it in aspic. It's to make it part of the community and we think that with the right programme it can be a real asset to Settle as a whole. Even to people who aren't particularly interested in old buildings. It can be as much an asset as Salts Mill is to Saltaire, a place that people will want to come and see and so it will generate income as well as being a desirable addition to Settle life."

For more information about the appeal, visit the website www.ncbpt.org.uk/appeal.

[This article is also available on: http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/]


Leader

 

thumbnail of leader (JPG, approx 4kb); click for larger image (PDF) (approx 1Mb, opens in new browser window)

Building trust's appeal is no act of folly

Every community needs a focal point, so it is pleasing to see playwright Alan Bennett spearheading a drive to turn one of North Craven's oldest buildings into a hub for the Settle community.

Despite being so close to the town centre, The Folly has, for many years, hidden its light under a bushel. Originally built on the main road into Settle, this elaborate piece of architecture was clearly designed to stand out, but the construction of a new road in the 18th century left it somewhat sidelined.

Later incarnations as a chip shop and a warehouse saw its standing in the town diminished still further. And 20 years ago, it was split in two, leaving The Folly struggling to retain its identity.

However the North Craven Building Preservation Trust has done some sterling work in reuniting the two Ranges and returning The Folly to its former glory.

Never fazed by daunting challenges, the trust wants to raise £'1.6 million to help preserve The Folly for future generations. It is a big target in these difficult economic times, but the trust is realistic and knows it will take time.

It is good to hear that the trust does not want to "preserve The Folly in aspic", for despite its great age and architectural worth, this building can play an important role in 21st century life.

A current exhibition at the Museum of North Craven Life, which is well worth a visit, shows how The Folly has adapted to 350 years of change. With a little help, The Folly will continue to adapt and this grand old lady of Settle will be at the heart of the community for many generations to come.


 

2011: The Folly: An Appeal
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