Meet Richard Quantrell – Trustee of Alford Manor House

I have lived in or near Alford since I was seven and have been an active member of the Alford community whilst working as a solicitor in the town and since my retirement. I have been chairman of Alford & District Civic Trust which owns Alford Manor House since January 2023 and was involved with writing the bid for the funding of this Programme.

In 2003 the Manor House underwent a major renovation which revealed many facts about the building and its four-hundred-year lifetime that had been forgotten. The house contains a lot of rooms but most of these are of a domestic scale and not large enough to be used for more sizeable events such as weddings or other functions like funeral teas that need to cater for more than thirty or forty people. Since the renovation took place a marquee at the back of the building has been used to hold these larger functions but this solution was only ever intended to be a temporary one. The opportunity which the Programme gives us is to create a purpose-built event venue with an adjacent new kitchen which will enable us to hold the major functions that are essential to the financial viability of the Manor House.

Although the marquee has served us well for nearly 20 years, by its very nature it has not been able to offer those using it the same quality space or facilities as a permanent building can provide. Heating, except in the summer months, is a challenge and the fact that sound cannot be contained has led to restrictions which mean no music can be played after 10pm – not ideal for wedding receptions. With this new funding Alford Manor House will be able to offer couples who are getting married a lovely venue for their ceremony, a space for the reception with full catering facilities and a place to dance the night away without disturbing the neighbours. The venue will also be used as a comfortable and peaceful space in which to hold funeral teas so people can remember their loved ones together and for small conferences. The money generated from these events will not only help with the day-to-day costs of looking after the Manor House, but will ensure the House can be enjoyed by future generations in the town. It will also improve the facilities we have for the Craft Market and other festivals which are held on the site.

Alford Manor House is run predominantly by volunteers. At present we have between 70 and 80 active volunteers but are always looking to welcome more people to join us. The roles these volunteers play range from greeting visitors to the house, curating the museum, looking after and improving the artefacts and machinery in the museum of rural life in the barn, administration, gardening and assisting with catering for events. People can also get involved by using the space to host community led projects from the Manor House.

As the work of building the new event venue proceeds opportunities will arise for visitors to learn more about the history of the site and its buildings. As well as the building work the funding from the Programme will also enable us to make grant applications to other funding bodies to pay for necessary repairs to the House and to replace the thatch.