Too Grand to Fall

The extraordinary rescue of Wentworth Woodhouse, the largest private house in the world

Described in parliament as “one of the UK’s most important historic houses”, Wentworth Woodhouse is a national treasure we refused to let die. This grade-I listed 18th-century stately home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire is considered an architectural masterpiece, representing two of Britain's greatest architectural styles: baroque and Palladian. And at 23,000 sq m with more grand rooms than Buckingham Palace, it’s also the largest private house in the world. When we first officially identified Wentworth Woodhouse as a critically endangered historic building, it seemed almost impossible to save. It was facing an uncertain future after decades of struggle to keep up with colossally high maintenance costs that none of its previous owners (two private and two public) could sustain. But over many years of persistent campaigning, complex negotiations, and strategic fundraising, SAVE led a remarkable rescue, helping to turn Wentworth Woodhouse into the most exciting regeneration project of our generation. 

In our decade-long journey to save Wentworth Woodhouse, we have: 

• Initiated the formation of the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT), which is now sole owner and operator of the site. The property has become a hugely successful tourist attraction and venue for weddings and exhibitions, and a major employment hub for the local community.  
• Helped to raise £7m to successfully purchase the property – half in the form of a £3.5m grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.
• Successfully persuaded government ministers to support the house, resulting in £7.6m of funds to kick-start emergency roof repairs. 
• Established a hugely innovative strategic masterplan for the building with the National Heritage Memorial Fund. This involved proposing a variety of compatible mixed uses for the house that would generate enough income to keep the listed buildings in repair, including public tours of the historic interiors, event spaces, business accommodation and residential units.

Working closely with trustees, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, local entrepreneur Julie Kenny and SAVE’s founder and president, Marcus Binney, we developed a preservation strategy that helped transform the property from a potential ruin into a unique visitor attraction and a vibrant cultural and employment hub.  

And the restoration milestones continue: The trust’s two-year long, £7.6m specialist roof repair project was completed in 2021 and the Camellia House was officially removed from the Heritage at Risk register in 2023. It reopened to the public in spring 2024. 

In a “triumph against all the odds” SAVE spearheaded the rescue of Wentworth Woodhouse and our vision helped ensure this magnificent building will survive for future generations.