The quest to restore Abergavenny’s historic Gunter Mansion has made ‘significant progress’ towards safeguarding the future of the heritage site, campaigners have said.

Following a campaign to secure £150,000 to restore the Cross Street building, local groups are now pressing ahead with ambitious plans to mould the development into a historical asset.

Ahead of an application to secure funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLR), the Friends of Gunter Mansion has established a 12 strong committee and drawn up plans to create a pop-up exhibition celebrating the significant history of Gunter Mansion on Cross Street over the next 18 months.

Amanda Peters, chair of the group founded in March, said the volunteers have been busy working with conservation and social media groups ahead of the crucial application with the HLR.

“At the moment, a lot of historical research is being done to establish exactly what Gunter Mansion looked like in its most significant period. A lot of research and work is being done here.

“We are pretty clear that it was built in the 1600s, and ‘rediscovered’ some 300 years later.

“This time gap in the middle is where we are most focused. For example: it is not clear whether the secret chapel was in just one part of the building.

“Questions like these are what we are trying to answer.”

Ms Peters said the project was in its ‘early days’ but expressed her excitement as the group combines with local volunteers, including Honey McKenna and King Henry VIII pupils who are documenting the project on social media.

“One of the most exciting things about this project is having so many different people working together.

“It’s bringing a lot of different local groups together who are committed and deeply interested in the significance of this space,” said Ms Peters.

The mansion is a Grade II-listed, largely 17th century mansion with deep and rich ties to Abergavenny’s role in Catholic history.

It houses a ‘historically important’ secret chapel which dates back to a period when following the faith often meant death for those caught.

The Gunter Mansion houses an ‘extremely rare’ recusant chapel from the 1670s, a pivotal period of British history. Catholic activity at Gunter Mansion was considered so shocking that reports were made to Parliament warning of an uprising; the offenders, it was recommended, should face death.

Charles II then issued a warrant for the immediate arrest of all papists and Jesuits deemed to be working against his rule.

Gunter’s priests, Phillip Evans and David Lewis, who often held Mass in the Mansion’s secret chapel were arrested by the end of 1678. They were put to death for their crimes.

David Lewis, who was executed at Usk became the last Catholic martyr in Wales.

The chapel, hidden in the building’s attic, spent two centuries uncovered before being rediscovered in the early 20th century. Gunter Mansion played a huge role within this period.

As well as a particularly fine 17th Century plaster ceiling on the first floor, the second floor chapel contains important graffiti dating from the 17th Century, when the mansion was owned by the Gunter family.

Historians have said this graffiti gives ‘wonderful insight’ into the building’s rich history.

After combining with the Welsh Georgian Trust, a successful crowd-funding bid managed to secure £150,000 in grants and secure the building’s immediate future.

Tudor Thomas, Labour councillor for the Priory Ward, said, “The Welsh Georgian Trust is organised and working very hard to make these things happen.

“Gunter Mansion is a huge asset to the town, not just to Abergavenny, but nationally too. It’s not just important to people of the Catholic faith, but to lots of others, as well.

“The development will bring people to Abergavenny. It is important for the heritage of Abergavenny, and a good asset for local schools.

“The pop-up shop is a brilliant idea, which will open up the history of the place and make it more accessible to people who perhaps don’t know a great deal about it.

“It really is an asset for Abergavenny, and has no just historical, but economic benefits too. That end of town is perhaps looking a little tired. This project will go some way to rejuvenating that area.”

A formal opening of the pop-up exhibition attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of Abergavenny will be held on Friday July 21.