The National Trust and Historic Coventry Trust today (Friday 10 January) announced a new partnership.
The partnership will see the national heritage and conservation charity take on the day-to-day management of The Charterhouse, a Grade I listed, 14th century former monastery, re-opening the site to visitors in spring.
The Charterhouse, located in the Heritage Park just outside the city centre, is owned by Historic Coventry Trust, a heritage development trust set up in 2011 to restore historic places in the city. Historic Coventry Trust raised the £11.9m million needed to restore the Charterhouse and managed every step of the restoration process. Now they are drawing on the specialist experience of others to help share The Charterhouse’s story more widely and to create a sustainable future for the site.
Cllr Naeem Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at Coventry City Council, said: “We are delighted to welcome the National Trust to Coventry and see the remarkable Charterhouse flourish as a hub of culture and heritage. This partnership not only ensures the future of one of our city’s most significant landmarks but also enhances our cultural offering for both local residents and visitors alike, and really does give them the opportunity to experience some Coventry’s rich history.
“The Charterhouse is already a key part of Coventry's cultural landscape and I am excited to see how it will inspire and engage our community through its new life as a National Trust property.”
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council said: “When Historic Coventry Trust became involved in trying to bring Charterhouse back to life and to secure its future, I don’t think any of us imagined the partnership now being launched with the National Trust – but of course it is the perfect fit. And, after brilliant work by the Trust and local people, and with support from the Council to the fundraising and capital programme, it’s great that we will now have a National Trust property in the city. It’s another huge step in securing our wonderful Charterhouse for future generations of local people and, of course, for many visitors to the city to enjoy. I look forward to seeing what this important new partnership will bring to The Charterhouse in this new chapter.”
Oli Burke, National Trust Assistant Director of Operations for the South Midlands, said: “We’re delighted to be working closely with the team at Historic Coventry Trust on what is a very exciting opportunity. They’ve done a fantastic job of restoring this historically important building, and through their passion and dedication they’ve created a very special place for the community to enjoy and for those from further afield to discover.
“At the National Trust we have a lot of experience in managing special places for visitors to enjoy and all the nuts and bolts that involves, so we’re very happy to join together with Historic Coventry Trust to be part of Charterhouse’s next chapter. As this is our first site in Coventry, we’re particularly looking forward to working with the local community and creating a place where residents can come together and be part of Charterhouse’s present and future.”
Ian Harrabin, Chairman of Historic Coventry Trust, said: “The involvement of National Trust opens a new chapter for The Charterhouse with the benefits of their expertise and huge membership attracting a much wider audience. The increase in visitors will not only make the future of this exceptional building secure, but also have a major impact on Coventry’s growing attraction as a visitor destination. We are very excited that this will not be the normal National Trust model of operation but an involved partnership with both Historic Coventry and the community. It is great that National Trust has chosen Coventry as a priority place for its involvement in urban areas."
As well as having a unique place in history, Coventry’s Charterhouse is also home to 15th and 16th century wall paintings, which are said to be some of the finest examples of medieval and renaissance art in England. The outside area includes a beautifully landscaped walled garden, and wider green space with wildlife pond and community orchard, children’s play area and grassland park. The historic site provides a natural oasis in the heart of Coventry, linking with a wider city Heritage Park, and a unique opportunity to share nationally important heritage with wider audiences.
Oli Burke added: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming visitors to Charterhouse in the spring when we reopen the property. We’re currently working on a programme of activities for everyone to enjoy - look out for updates as we’ll be sharing more details soon.”
The new partnership between Historic Coventry Trust and the National Trust has been set out in a lease agreement where the National Trust is responsible for the main Charterhouse building, the 1.7 acre walled garden and an area within the Heritage Park that includes the community orchard and wildlife pond. The National Trust will also manage the car park and commission a local provider to run a cafe at the site.
In addition to managing Charterhouse, the National Trust team will be working with partners to help deliver plans for the wider Heritage Park and green corridor between the park and the city.
“We’ll be working with partners, including the John Muir Trust, to help enhance the Heritage Park green corridor which connects Charterhouse and wider Coventry,” explained Oli. “This will support biodiversity and nature, and provide greenspace for the surrounding communities, bringing people more access to nature, history and beauty.”
Coventry’s Charterhouse is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers who help with everything from gardening to visitor tours. Ahead of the property’s reopening in spring, the National Trust is recruiting more volunteers to join the team and will be holding Volunteer Recruitment Days at The Charterhouse on Saturday 18 and Tuesday 21 January between 10am and 3pm. Those interested to find out more are invited to drop-in.