Purcell assists in £4.2m funding bid for National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket.

Purcell has recently assisted in attaining a £4.2m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the conversion of Palace House and Stables, the remaining part of Charles II’s royal palace in Newmarket, to create the new Home of Horseracing National Heritage Centre, in addition to facilities for the Retraining of Racehorses Trust and the British Sporting Art Trust.

 A Conservation Management Plan compiled by the practice’s Heritage Consultancy team has substantially assisted project funding and provides a framework and costed action plan for the future conservation and protection of the site.

The study assesses the significance of the site’s buildings and its context within Newmarket’s horseracing history. It was prepared in conjunction with a programme of detailed archival research, paint research and an assessment of the museum’s collections.

Heritage Consultant Sally Brownlow says: “Our Conservation Management Plan for Palace House creates a vivid picture of how the building developed over time and its importance to the history of horseracing and the town of Newmarket. The palace from which Charles II promoted horseracing in the 17^th century is a perfect location for the new Horseracing Heritage Centre. We are very excited that our work contributed towards the successful Heritage Lottery Fund grant application, enabling the Museum’s collections to be brought to life.”