A bid to save Abergavenny’s historic Gunter Mansion is due to be officially launched on Monday by the The Welsh Georgian Trust, which has just six months to raise £235,000 to buy and restore one of town’s most priceless buildings.

The Monmouth-based trust, which specialises in rescuing endangered buildings, will launch a crowdfunding scheme to coincide with World Heritage Day on Monday, April 18 in the hope of raising £50,000 in public contributions.

It is hoped that the rest of the funding will come from various grants after the trust reached an agreement with a Cardiff-based property development firm, to buy the building.

The Grade II listed building was home to Thomas Gunter and where Wales’ last Catholic martyr - St David Lewis - prayed in the building’s hidden chapel before his arrest and execution in 1679.

It also housed a fresco of the Adoration of the Magi by an unknown artist which now takes pride of place in Abergavenny’s castle museum.The secret chapel, measuring 23ft by 10ft, remained undiscovered until 1907.

The trust needs to raise enough money to buy the building and carry out immediate urgent repairs, which when complete will, it is hoped, allow the chapel to be opened to the public alongside a small centre celebrating the history of Catholicism in Wales.

The bulk of the building will remain retail to ensure it has a viable economic future it’s planned will be an opportunity to help in the regeneration of that part of the town centre.

It is hoped that when the building is bought Heritage Lottery funding can be sought to fully restore it and make it accessible to the public.

To find out about the project visit welshgeorgiantrust.org.uk or email [email protected].