Stroud MP Siobhan Bailie has welcomed more than £3 million of government money being granted to a constituency-based organisation conserving historic houses including Woodchester Mansion.

The Historic Houses Foundation is a charity that gives grants to repair and conserve historic rural buildings in England and Wales. It has its headquarters at Uley Road in Dursley.

Woodchester Mansion Trust has received more than £58,000 to help it run the unfinished Gothic revival mansion house. Ms Baillie had been in touch with the trust to tell them money was available.

Both cash awards have come from the government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, which is designed to help cultural and heritage attractions through the covid pandemic.

“I am delighted that Woodchester is receiving this money because it will help the trust with all the issues it faces from this virus and allow it to continue telling the story of this amazing building.

“The Cultural Recovery Fund is designed to help places just like this survive the pandemic and be able to look forward to the day when restrictions are lifted.

“Similarly, the work of the Historic Houses Foundation is also incredibly important - hence the size of this grant - and it will safeguard many historic buildings far beyond Stroud that may be at danger because of what has happened.”