The Plas Gunter Mansion Trust is calling on residents of Abergavenny and history enthusiasts everywhere to help it see the restoration project through a difficult time as it navigates the coronavirus pandemic.

They can do this by becoming a member of the Trust for £10 a year.

In an appeal to townspeople, Trust Chair, Owen Davies says: “We ask you to join us! Your membership will help save and restore a historic town centre building of local, national and international importance. And you will be supporting a local charity that has the vision and influence to deliver a major regeneration project for the town centre.”

For the £10 annual fee, members of the Plas Gunter Mansion Trust will be able to attend annual general meetings, elect trustees, vote on Trust issues and attend any members-only events. Details on how to join - either online or by post - are on the Trust website under the Become a Member button (plasguntermansion.org.uk).

The 17th century mansion on Cross Street has a fascinating history that plants Abergavenny firmly on the political and religious map of that period and its restoration is predicted to attract visitors from all over the UK and beyond. The Trust plans to enhance the building, turning it into an educational and community resource that celebrates its local roots.

Built and inhabited by generations of the Gunter family it was a secret place for Catholics to worship at a time when it was illegal to do so. Monmouthshire society in the late 1600s was riven by conflict between Catholic and Protestant supporters and Catholic worship was forbidden under Charles II.

Two Catholic priests who led mass in the building’s secret attic chapel were denounced by a local Protestant landowner and were hanged in Usk 341 years ago, in 1679. Father David Lewis, known as “Tad y Tlodion” – father of the poor - was Wales’ last last Catholic martyr and was made a saint.

A stained glass window in Our Lady and St Michael’s Church in Abergavenny commemorates Saint David Lewis. This, along with an altarpiece from the secret chapel discovered in the early 20th century and now in Abergavenny Museum, will form part of a history trail for visitors along with the restored mansion.

The mansion was originally bought for the town by the Welsh Georgian Trust, which became the Plas Gunter Mansion Trust so that it could focus entirely on the Abergavenny Gunter project. A new group of Trustees has strengthened community representation and involvement in what was already an enthusiastically supported local project.

The Trust secured funding to carry out initial architectural surveys in 2019, which put it in a good position to apply to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a £2 million restoration project. But at the start of the coronavirus lockdown in March 2020, the Fund announced that it would not be accepting new applications for the foreseeable future.

The group responsible for putting the together the funding bid is having regular virtual meetings to make sure it’s ready to submit as soon the funding doors reopen.

From July 2017, a team of volunteers had been welcoming visitors to a pop-up exhibition space on the ground floor of the building, which charts the fascinating history of the house. Half of this space was given over to local community groups to exhibit the work they do but the building, like so many other public spaces, had to close when lockdown started.

Planned community exhibitions by the group campaigning to bring back Abergavenny Lido and by the Local History Society on Bailey Park will go ahead once public spaces reopen.

More information about the mansion can be found on its website: plasguntermansion.org.uk where you can also sign up for e-newsletters and make one-off donations.