Students at Harlaxton College soon will be seeing the beginnings of historical preservation work on the Lion Courtyard.
Suzanne Kingsley, the wife of the principal at Harlaxton and one of the main enthusiasts of the project, said the gardens are part of the original building, and they are over 170 years old.
During the restoration process everything in the Lion Courtyard will be brought back to its original form.
Over time certain stones have been replaced, and they will need to be brought back to the original stone, ancaster stone, which is from Lincolnshire.
The lion statues on the Lion Courtyard were brought here in the late 1930s by Mrs. Van der Elst, one of the house's previous owners, when Whitley Court burned and the remains were sold. Kingsley said they are not in need of restoration, and even thought they weren't created with the manor, they are now a part of it, so they will be kept during the restoration process.<br/>&#160;&#160; &#160; <br/>A lot of the damage to the courtyard is due to past owners not taking proper care of it and for example, Kingsley said they let things, such as the trees, over grow and shift the stones. &#160;A lot of the damage to the courtyard is due to past owners not taking proper care of it and for example, Kingsley said they let things, such as the trees, over grow and shift the stones. <br/>&#160;&#160; &#160; <br/>"People took care of it in different ways," Kingsley said. "The gardens are small compared to the size of the house, and the features are close together, so there really isn't enough space.""People took care of it in different ways," Kingsley said. "The gardens are small compared to the size of the house, and the features are close together, so there really isn't enough space."<br/>&#160;&#160; &#160; <br/>Gordon Kingsley, the principal at Harlaxton, is another enthusiast of this restoration project.Gordon Kingsley, the principal at Harlaxton, is another enthusiast of this restoration project.<br/>&#160;&#160; &#160; <br/>"It's an important part of the student's experience," Gordon Kingsley said. "They walk there; they study there in the fall and the summer.&#160; It's a very important asset to the total effect of Harlaxton.""It's an important part of the student's experience," Gordon Kingsley said. "They walk there; they study there in the fall and the summer. It's a very important asset to the total effect of Harlaxton."<br/>&#160;&#160; &#160; <br/>Margaret Durkovic, a sophomore at the University of Evansville, believes this restoration project is overdue.Margaret Durkovic, a sophomore at the University of Evansville, believes this restoration project is overdue.<br/>&#160;&#160;&#160; <br/>"It's pretty bad out there.&#160; There is lichen covering everything and the stone is eroding and crumbling in lots of places," Durkovic said. "It looks okay from far away, but once you get closer, you can see that it's falling apart.""It's pretty bad out there. There is lichen covering everything and the stone is eroding and crumbling in lots of places," Durkovic said. "It looks okay from far away, but once you get closer, you can see that it's falling apart."<br/>&#160;&#160; &#160; <br/>Not all students at Harlaxton believe this restoration is necessary.&#160; Amanda Lindahl, a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, is one of those students.Not all students at Harlaxton believe this restoration is necessary. Amanda Lindahl, a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, is one of those students.<br/>&#160;&#160; &#160; <br/>"It kind of gives a more rustic, country feeling," Lindahl said. "It looks old, which you would kind of expect in a place like this.""It kind of gives a more rustic, country feeling," Lindahl said. "It looks old, which you would kind of expect in a place like this."<br/>&#160;&#160; &#160; <br/>Gordon Kingsley said the money for the project comes from a grant of the Organisation of English Heritage and donations that are primarily from Americans.Gordon Kingsley said the money for the project comes from a grant of the Organisation of English Heritage and donations that are primarily from Americans.<br/>&#160;&#160; &#160; <br/>"The British don't really have the same sense of individual giving as the Americans do; they depend mostly on the government for it," Gordon Kingsley said."The British don't really have the same sense of individual giving as the Americans do; they depend mostly on the government for it," Gordon Kingsley said.<br/>&#160;&#160; &#160; <br/>However, the grant from the Organisation of English Heritage is not small.&#160; The exact amount is yet to be decided for the lion courtyard, but they gave enough to cover over 40% of the costs on other restoration projects at Harlaxton.However, the grant from the Organisation of English Heritage is not small. The exact amount is yet to be decided for the lion courtyard, but they gave enough to cover over 40% of the costs on other restoration projects at Harlaxton.
A lot of the damage to the courtyard is due to past owners not taking proper care of it and for example, Kingsley said they let things, such as the trees, over grow and shift the stones.
“People took care of it in different ways,” Kingsley said. “The gardens are small compared to the size of the house, and the features are close together, so there really isn’t enough space.”
Gordon Kingsley, the principal at Harlaxton, is another enthusiast of this restoration project.
“It’s an important part of the student’s experience,” Gordon Kingsley said. “They walk there; they study there in the fall and the summer. It’s a very important asset to the total effect of Harlaxton.”
Margaret Durkovic, a sophomore at the University of Evansville, believes this restoration project is overdue.
“It’s pretty bad out there. There is lichen covering everything and the stone is eroding and crumbling in lots of places,” Durkovic said. “It looks okay from far away, but once you get closer, you can see that it’s falling apart.”
Not all students at Harlaxton believe this restoration is necessary. Amanda Lindahl, a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, is one of those students.
“It kind of gives a more rustic, country feeling,” Lindahl said. “It looks old, which you would kind of expect in a place like this.”
Gordon Kingsley said the money for the project comes from a grant of the Organisation of English Heritage and donations that are primarily from Americans.
“The British don’t really have the same sense of individual giving as the Americans do; they depend mostly on the government for it,” Gordon Kingsley said.
However, the grant from the Organisation of English Heritage is not small. The exact amount is yet to be decided for the lion courtyard, but they gave enough to cover over 40% of the costs on other restoration projects at Harlaxton.
Suzanne Kingsley explained that the Organisation of English Heritage, which is government funded, is required to protect historic places. They have lists of places that are historical sites, and Harlaxton is one of them. The organization makes no profit, and they receive no benefits, they just protect places with historical value.
Each year the organization goes to different places and, if the building is at risk, they give out miniature hard hats.<br/>&#160;&#160; &#160; <br/>"We have a lot of little hard hats sitting around," Kingsley said. "We have a lot of little hard hats sitting around," Kingsley said. <br/>The school has received bids from construction companies to do the restoration work, and the Organisation of English Heritage will decide which one the school takes, but most likely they will take the cheapest one.The school has received bids from construction companies to do the restoration work, and the Organisation of English Heritage will decide which one the school takes, but most likely they will take the cheapest one.<br/>&#160;&#160; &#160; <br/>During the restoration the entire area will be fenced off and no access will be permitted due to health and safety regulations.During the restoration the entire area will be fenced off and no access will be permitted due to health and safety regulations.<br/>&#160;&#160; &#160; <br/>"We will let the students know before the restoration project begins," Suzanne Kingsley said.&#160; "That way they can get out there with their cameras if they need to.""We will let the students know before the restoration project begins," Suzanne Kingsley said. "That way they can get out there with their cameras if they need to."
“We have a lot of little hard hats sitting around,” Kingsley said.
The school has received bids from construction companies to do the restoration work, and the Organisation of English Heritage will decide which one the school takes, but most likely they will take the cheapest one.
During the restoration the entire area will be fenced off and no access will be permitted due to health and safety regulations.
“We will let the students know before the restoration project begins,” Suzanne Kingsley said. “That way they can get out there with their cameras if they need to.”