Wednesday 10 February 2016

Crowdfunding bid to restore JMW Turner's Twickenham house

A campaign to restore a house designed and owned by the artist JMW Turner has turned to the public in a bid to source the remainder of money needed.
Sandycombe Lodge in Twickenham, south west London, was built by Turner in 1813, but it has fallen into a poor state of repair in recent years.
Turner's House Trust is looking for £125,000 to reach its £2.4m target to allow restoration works to begin.
Turner's House
The house - currently closed to the public - could be open in 2017.
The trust hopes turning to crowdfunding - asking people to invest in the project - will secure the total outstanding.
Peeling ceilingImage copyrightTurner's House
Image captionTurner's Trust said the building is suffering from damp
Turner designed the building as a retreat from his central London studio and as a permanent home for his elderly father, a retired wigmaker and barber, who looked after the house and garden.
The Grade II* listed house has been renovated in the 200 years since it was built including two extensions, changing it from its original design, which the trust - the house's owner - wants to restore.
Damp, damage from tree roots and other problems will also be fixed. Part of the basement ceiling collapsed after heavy rain in 2012.
Tree roots coming through wallImage copyrightTurner's House
Image captionTree roots have penetrated the walls of the building in places
Earlier estimates pegged the total cost of renovation, due to start in April, at £2m - but the trust said inflation and building costs meant had it to revise the amount.
It hopes to raise the money in the next four weeks.
Twickenham Villa of JMW Turner RA engraved by WB Cooke c1814, with later colouring, from an original watercolour by William HavellImage copyrightHeritage Lottery Fund
Image captionThe house was depicted in this engraving by WB Cooke shortly after it was built
The funding will add to money raised from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Architectural Heritage Fund and other supporters.
Catherine Parry-Wingfield, chairman at Turner's House Trust, said: "Until all the money is raised our work is not done.
"We do not want to take up a loan we have no funds to repay. Meeting the funding gap is now urgent."