A building inspection of the Tearooms at Oldway today has led us to make the extremely difficult decision to close the Tearooms until further notice for health and safety reasons.

For some time, we have been aware of and have been working to find the cause and a solution to stop water from coming into the Tearooms via the ceiling.

The recent spells of wet weather have escalated the problem further and caused more damage than we anticipated. The inspection carried out today indicated there is now a significant risk of the ceiling collapsing, which if the ceiling were to fail would cause serious injury to anyone using the Tearooms.

We are currently working on identifying £1million of council funding for Oldway that will allow us to begin an initial programme of repair and maintenance. In the meantime, we are exploring what measures can be put in place before the repair and maintenance programme begins, to enable the Tearooms to reopen.

Approval was recently given for the ‘Developing a resilient future for Oldway’ masterplan which aims to restore and bring the Mansion back into use. This follows extensive engagement and input from the community and key stakeholders.

We do understand this is disappointing news for the community, especially to those who work hard and volunteer at the Tearooms. However, our main priority is ensuring the safety of those in our community.

The grounds and gardens of Oldway will remain open to visitors.