Avebury Manor reopens after flood restoration

A Grade I listed 16th century manor house in the Avebury World Heritage Site has reopened fully to visitors after being badly damaged by floodwater in January 2024.

Avebury Manor in Wiltshire is owned and run by the National Trust, which said it had to do extensive restoration in the house, which had water more than 1m (3.3ft) deep in some places.

It briefly reopened for a Christmas display, but was now open everyday again, with a new experience called Avebury as Home talking about the lives of people who lived there, bosses said.

House manager Amelia Bryan said: "We're incredibly excited to welcome visitors back for good after such a challenging period."

She added: "This is a real moment of renewal for Avebury Manor, and we're looking forward to sharing a completely new way of experiencing this much-loved place."

The National Trust said its specialist craft team was involved in restoring original features affected by the flooding, which was in all the ground-floor rooms.

However, some of the furniture was too badly damaged for restoration, with electrics, plasterwork and floorboards also having to be repaired, it said.

Specialists did discover some past changes to the building, adding to its story, which had now been included in the new experience, it added.

Visitor experience manager Hazel Scott said: "The flooding was heartbreaking for the team, our volunteers, and our visitors, and it has been a long journey to get to this point."

The new experience also places the manor within the wider setting of the village and the UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its huge standing stones, with contributions from residents living in Avebury today.

Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.