The Mansion: Undergoing restoration

Our Mansion is undergoing a transformation 

Our Elizabethan Mansion sits in the heart of Wakehurst, and was originally built between 1571 and 1590, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Over the years it has served many purposes in its botanic surrounds, first as a private house, and when leased to RBG Kew from the National Trust in 1963, became the site of Wakehurst’s earliest seed bank (installed in the Chapel 1976). It’s been used by the education team for visiting schools and community groups, and has provided the perfect venue for intimate weddings. In recent years, the front facade has been transformed into a projection screen as the centrepiece of our magical winter lantern trail, Glow Wild.  

In Summer of 2022, we embarked upon the biggest renovation project at Wakehurst since the 1970s – restoring the Mansion roof. The roof of the Grade I listed building needed extensive work, which meant we have had to erect scaffolding around the full perimeter of the building to allow access for workers.

Find the Mansion at marker 3 on our Map of Wakehurst

In the true spirit of Wakehurst, we looked at this situation as an opportunity to do something unique and so Planet Wakehurst was born. We commissioned a huge photo montage featuring plants from across the 535-acre landscape by artist Catherine Nelson to adorn the scaffolding, transforming the work site into one of the UK’s largest outdoor art installations. We also created a viewing platform at the top of the scaffold site, so that visitors could be treated to a brand-new perspective over our landscape (and the roof works).

With works on track to complete in early Summer 2025, we can now begin the process of staggering the removal of the scaffolding – including the Planet Wakehurst artwork. Whilst we are sad to wave goodbye to the epic artwork, we are excited to reunite our visitors with the Mansion’s façade as it emerges from beneath Planet Wakehurst. The restoration works are now mainly focussing on the internal structure so some scaffolds will remain for a few weeks as work continues tirelessly behind the scenes to protect the Mansion for future generations. 

While the Mansion is now unwrapped, it will not be open to the public as extensive work and safety testing continues inside.  

Our teams will use the Autumn and Winter to restore the Mansion, to protect resident wildlife and bring the nearby planting back to full glory before it reopens in 2025.  

You can read more about the project, past, present and future in new signage going in outside the Chapel in the Autumn. 

We are grateful this capital project is funded by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and for our National Trust endowment, which provides ongoing support for Wakehurst’s landscapes and wider facilities.