The Volunteers take over!
The two story building had no internal walls except around the stairwell. It also had no electricity, plumbing etc. The challenge was for the H & G volunteers, who had previously been working outside on canal restoration, to turn their hands to some serious DIY.

The plan was to include a restaurant, a visitor centre, a commercial kitchen, toilets, stairwell, corridor, seven visitor bedrooms, seven visitor bathrooms, a manager’s four room flat, a small lounge, an office and staff room.

Much of the materials used were recycled from the old hospital that had occupied the nearby site. This salvage included internal doors, skirting, architrave and thousands of wooden floor blocks.

Funding the project was a major challenge and grants were obtained from DEFRA for much of the work on the ground floor, Heritage Lottery for the Visitor Centre.

Other grants and donations came from various Trust members and the Inland Waterways Association.