Plas Gunter Mansion has won tens of thousands of pounds in funding to support the costs of restoring the historic garden to the rear of the property.

The Grade II listed building on Lower Cross Street is of national and international significance due to the recusant chapel it houses, used by Catholics to worship at a time when it was illegal to do so. In 1907, builders discovered the chapel which makes the historic building even more important today. It’s one of the only surviving examples known of in Britain.

Volunteers have been doing their best to restore the building itself, but the garden to the rear of the town centre mansion is currently less grand, and has become a site more synonymous with fly tipping and illegal parking in more recent years.

But now Abergavenny Town Council has awarded £30,000 to the trust dedicated to restoring the mansion to its former glory to be spent on the task of bringing the old garden back to life.

In a statement, they confirmed they were pleased to have been able to support the cause.

“We’re proud to have awarded £30,000 to help reunite Plas Gunter Mansion with its historic garden,” a spokesperson said.

“This vital step secures the future of the project and brings us closer to creating an incredible community space in the heart of Abergavenny.”

As well as individual donations, the Local Places for Nature fund had already awarded £246,000 to the Plas Gunter Mansion trust to go towards the purchase of the building, as well as £38,000 in match funding from Abergavenny Town Council and the town’s Civic Society.

While there is still lots of work to be done to bring this important piece of Abergavenny’s history back to life, the news of further funds will certainly be a step in the right direction.