National Trust's Lyveden New Bield attraction to re-open after 19-month renovation

The National Trust s iconic Lyveden New Bield will finally open its doors to pre-booked guests after a 19-month renovation project.

In November 2019, Lyveden closed to the public for project Lyveden Reconnected - a complete renovation of the 17th century manor house and the creation of a new visitor route, as well as an all-new car park and café.

Two challenging years later, the National Trust will unveil the project on Friday, June 18, and welcome back visitors.

General manager for the National Trust at Lyveden, Emily Knight, said: “Reconnecting the gardens to manor allows visitors to delve deeper into how and why Sir Thomas (Tresham) created his home, an act of spiritual rebellion, here.

"Lyveden not only represents one man’s individual response to the world changing around him, but also a shared human response to change. Ironically, some of our plans were disrupted and delayed by the Covid-19 crisis, so we’re looking forward to getting visitors involved in our plans over the coming months.

"We hope to work with local communities and groups to create an interpretation space inside the manor, to continue the important legacy of Sir Thomas’ own spiritual journey. Our gardens are also looking a bit wilder after over a year of relative free reign, so we’re excited to welcome our new gardener and ranger soon, who will be working with a team of volunteers.”

Nestled in the rolling countryside near Oundle, Elizabethan Sir Thomas Tresham designed Lyveden to be a symbol of his Catholic faith, at a time when such beliefs were prosecuted - an act of quiet and creative rebellion.

The roofless unfinished New Bield lodge will now be accessed via the unique and unspoiled Elizabethan garden as Sir Thomas intended.

Visitors will start the tour from the newly renovated manor house, through the pleasure gardens and up to the lodge.

Lyveden will reopen to visitors on Friday to Mondays with pre-booking required.

For more information and to book your visit, please see https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyveden and follow @NTLyveden on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates.