'We are all very excited' - 10-month, £2.3m project to restore 300-year-old building in Boston set to begin
A 10-month, £2.3 million project to restore a 300-year-old building in Boston is set to begin.
The work at the Grade I listed Fydell House, in South Street, will bring about a range of improvements at the early 18th century building, including repairing damage from the war.
As a Grade I listed building, Fydell House is classed by Historic England as ‘of exceptional interest’. Only 2.5 per cent of listed buildings are classed as Grade I – in Boston, Fydell House is one of only a handful of non churches to carry the status, with its neighbour, The Guildhall, being one of the others.
Fydell House was built in 1702; it was the home of the Fydell family, who were local town leaders, landowners, wine importers, politicians, and, at one time, friends with Sir Joseph Banks.
The house was saved from demolition in 1935 by the current owners, Boston Preservation Trust, but is now in need of conservation and service upgrades to meet modern needs, the organisation says.
The project will involve:
- extensive repairs to the façade, roof and interior wall decoration
- work on the electrical supply and heating
- improved access to the house, with gentle symmetrical ramps at the front
- improved access to the rear gardens
- the conversion of the brick building at the rear into a toilet block for garden events. There will also be a training area and space for volunteers
- the development of a programme of new activities for visitors and the community
The cost of the scheme is £2.3 million, of which The National Lottery Heritage Fund is providing £1.6 million and the Boston Town Board £120,000. The remaining balance is funded from the generosity of a number of organisations and individuals, the trust says.
The design team is led by Soul Architects Ltd and the main contractor is Pinnacle Conservation Ltd. The project is managed by Evans and James Heritage Consultants.
Work will commence next month.
The house had its last day of 2025 on Wednesday (May 28) and will remain closed to visitors during the programme of works to re-open in spring 2026.
A spokesman for the trust said the project will ‘save this unique building for the future, improve accessibility to many more users, and renew its lasting value as a community asset for the town and the county’.
Chairman of the trust Martin Fairman said: “We are all very excited to see this project start after five years’ preparation which has involved many experts as well as our membership and users of Fydell House. The National Lottery Heritage Fund has supported us all the way and we extend our thanks to the many people who buy National Lottery tickets.”