Moving On At Marks Hall 2006/07

Published: September 2006

Since the official opening in 1993 the Bouchiers Barn Visitor Centre and the Arboretum have welcomed an ever increasing number of visitors each year and the time has now come to extend our facilities.

With the aid of a grant from Defra, the work is being carried out in two stages. The first, the kitchen extension, is now underway. The existing facility is no longer able to cope with the extra turnover created by the expanded menu and the hard work of the kitchen staff. The new building will enable the present kitchen to become a dedicated wash-up space and a larger prep and cooking area with separate storeroom will be created.

The second stage will be re-routing the estate concrete road, from in front of the Visitor Centre. The old road will be removed and the new route will begin at the gate to the overflow car park and then extend beyond the present field to rejoin the original, close to the present Arboretum gate. This will enable us to extend the car park, divert through traffic and improve the quality of the visitor experience at Marks Hall.

We will also extend the deer fence to enlarge and enhance the Arboretum, allowing landscaping and improvement to the areas in the vicinity of the Visitor Centre.

Click here to see the building progress