The National Trust has announced the appointment of The HACS Group to deliver a "once-in-a-generation project" at a UNESCO World Heritage Site at Fountains Abbey.

National Trust announces 12 month closure of entrance at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal near Ripon

The National Trust has announced the appointment of The HACS Group to deliver a "once-in-a-generation project" at a UNESCO World Heritage Site at Fountains Abbey.

The £5.8 million Studley Revealed scheme is one of the most significant projects to ever be undertaken at the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal estate and represents a major investment in the future of this internationally important landscape.

Recent decades have seen the historic site’s original Georgian garden design, known for its carefully-orchestrated vistas, glimpses and dramatic reveals, become obscured by later additions, including an assortment of temporary buildings, fencing and overgrown planting.

The current visitor facilities are increasingly unable to meet accessibility standards or accommodate visitor demand, particularly during peak periods. Studley Revealed will remove a number of these intrusive elements, reopen lost views across the landscape and provide improved facilities, including accessible toilets, an enhanced café and interpretation spaces to help visitors discover the story of the water garden and its global significance.

How the new entrance will look at historic site - The National Trust, the HACS Group and Feilden Fowles Architects will deliver one of the most significant projects ever undertaken at the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal estate. (Picture contributed)

Justin Scully, General Manager of National Trust Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal said: “Studley Revealed represents a once-in-a-generation investment in the future of this remarkable World Heritage Site.

"The project will help us better care for the landscape and create visitor facilities that are worthy of a World Heritage Site for the millions of people who will continue to enjoy this special place in years to come.

"As a conservation charity, we're committed to protecting the heritage of Studley Royal while helping visitors understand and enjoy what makes it so special.”

The major redevelopment with a design team from Feilden Fowles Architects will see the creation of new visitor facilities at the Studley Royal entrance and will necessitate a 12-month closure of the entrance and tea-room from Monday, September 7.

"Once-in-a-generation project" - Eddie Ashworth, left, Commercial Director of The HACS Group and Justin Scully, right, General Manager of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, pictured in front of Studley Tea Room at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. (Picture contributed)

The appointment of Ripley-based The HACS Group marks a return to a landscape the company has helped shape before.

In 1984, HACS played a key role in a major project to dredge and restore Studley Lake.

Forty years later, the company is returning to the World Heritage Site to help deliver the next chapter in its conservation.