Restoration Plans

“By restoring Lydiard Park to the highest standard, Swindon can show its ability to achieve excellence and lead the world by engaging the whole community in an exciting and imaginative project.” John Sales, former Head of Gardens, The National Trust

Lydiard House & Park has always been an extremely popular visitor destination for local residents as well as visitors to the area, however the gradual decline and loss of historic parkland features, coupled with the need to improve the facilities used by some quarter of a million visitors every year, prompted Swindon Borough Council to launch a major restoration programme. In July 2005, Swindon Borough Council was awarded £3 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund to enable this ambitious £5 million project, to restore Lydiard's principal 18th Century landscape features, upgrade visitor facilities and increase opportunities for education, recreation and access across the site, to go ahead.  Works began in Autumn 2005 and were officially launched at a public event during Heritage Open Days on Saturday 10 September.

The Lydiard Park Project is a four year programme, due for completion in Spring 2009, although the majority of works will be achieved in the first 18 months. Click here to open up an interactive project plan – in the popup plan click on the labels to read the text and to see photographs of what these areas look like today eg. lost lake, walled garden, vista over lake, stable ice house, avenues, wider parkland, and the dam wall