Visitors welcomed back to Wentworth House as it reopens for first time since March

Visitors are being welcomed back to a popular tourist attraction after months in lockdown.
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Wentworth Woodhouse mansion is reopening on Saturday, having been closed since March.

From that day on, each Wednesday to Sunday morning supporters can enjoy a completely new visitor experience inside the stately home - with a raft of COVID-19 safety precautions in place.

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Guests must buy admission tickets in advance and enter into the Pillared Hall in timed slots, but once inside they are free to follow a one-way route through the house.

Dame Julie Kenny, Chair of Trustees Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust and Sarah McLeod at the doors of the historic buildingDame Julie Kenny, Chair of Trustees Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust and Sarah McLeod at the doors of the historic building
Dame Julie Kenny, Chair of Trustees Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust and Sarah McLeod at the doors of the historic building

The route takes in rooms on the ground floor and ascends the grand staircase to view some of the grand state rooms.

Room stewards will be on-hand to answer questions and activity sheets have been created to give children a fun learning experience.

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The mansion’s tea room, gift shop and house tours also return from October 3.

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“We are absolutely delighted to welcome visitors back to the house,” said Sarah McLeod, the Trust’s CEO.

“Like everyone, we have gone through testing times since March. We are also extremely grateful for an emergency grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in June, which enabled us to pay key staff to develop a new business model and also open the gardens as an alternative visitor experience.

“We are hugely thankful to everyone who came along. But being able to open the house again is so important. It’s a major fundraiser for our regeneration work, and sharing the stunning interiors and historical stories is one of the Trust’s key aims."

All visitors are reassured they can visit in safety, says the Trust. Its comprehensive Covid-19 policy is in line with latest government guideline s and includes temperature checks for visitors, volunteers and staff and phased entry via online booking.

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Face coverings are compulsory indoors, a comprehensive cleaning policy has been increased, one-way routes have been created, social distancing will be observed at all times, hand sanitising stations and track and trace policies are operating.

The Trust’s QR code for the NHS Track & Trace app will be available.

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