Shakespeare trust launches 'adopt a beam' scheme

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has launched a fundraising scheme that will allow donors to adopt a beam in the former home of the bard's daughter.

Hall's Croft in Stratford-upon-Avon, the former home of Susanna Hall and her husband Dr John Hall, was damaged when a car reversed into the property in October.

The trust has now launched a £500,000 appeal to complete the second phase of its conservation project, which will cost £2.5m in total.

People who donate £500 or more will be able to adopt their own beam in the 400-year-old Jacobean building and will receive a certificate.

Luke Purser, the director of development for Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said the damage to Hall's Croft has been "quite significant", with beams shattered and a gaping hole in the outside wall.

"We were very lucky the car missed the main supporting timbers so the house didn't fall down," he said.

"It is repairable and the driver's insurance will cover the immediate cost of the repairs.

"The incident highlighted the fragility of the 400-year-old building surrounded by traffic and cars and living in a world for which it was never built and we knew Hall's Croft needed a lot of work anyway."

Conservation work was already underway on the back of the house when the incident occurred, but now the trust has had to bring the second phase of the conservation project forward.

"The work we're doing is to remove all of the panels between the frames - you think of a black and white building, all of the white bits are coming out, because they were put in in the 1950s," Mr Purser explained.

Restoration workers have already removed 70 tonnes of concrete from the Grade I listed building which dates back to 1613.

For most of its history, it was the home of prosperous, professional people and in the mid-1800s it served as a small school.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust bought it in 1949 and, after substantial repairs and alterations, opened it to the public in 1951 and now it is a learning hub for students.

Speaking about the adopt-a-beam fundraiser, Mr Purser said: "The idea is to get everybody involved in this campaign because Hall's Croft is such a significant building in Stratford."

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