Newstead Abbey invites visitors behind the scenes as it raises the roof

Newstead Abbey has one of the most romantic stories of any house in Nottinghamshire, and this autumn visitors have a chance to be part of its next chapter. The historic house in Ravenshead is entering a new phase of its Raise the Roof works, and the public is being invited to find out more.

On Tuesday 27 October 2026, conservation architect Peter Logan, who specialises in repairing historic buildings, will give a free talk in the Orangery. Nottingham City Council commissioned a fresh survey of the roof to set repair priorities, and work will be carried out by craftspeople under the eye of a conservation architect. The October talk will also launch plans for a community time capsule, and a second talk follows on 16 February 2027. Places are free but must be booked.

The site's history goes back to around 1170, when Henry II founded an Augustinian priory here as a penance after the murder of Thomas Becket. Despite its name, it was never actually an abbey. After the dissolution of the monasteries, Henry VIII granted it to Sir John Byron in 1540, and it became a country house.

It is best known as the ancestral home of the poet Lord Byron, who inherited it as a boy. Visitors can see the Great Hall, Lord Byron's Dining Room and his Study, which displays personal items, letters and artefacts. In the grounds stands the monument to Boatswain, Byron's Newfoundland dog, who died in 1808. The monument is larger than Byron's own, and its famous inscription was written by his friend John Hobhouse.

In 1931 Sir Julien Cahn gave the abbey to Nottingham Corporation, and the city council still cares for it today.

There is plenty on this season. The Heart of Medieval Newstead exhibition in the Cloisters is open daily from 11am to 4pm, while the house and Byron rooms open at weekends and during Nottingham school holidays. A Forest Bathing Walk takes place on Wednesday 28 October, and Christmas at Newstead runs from 28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with a craft and gift fair in the Cloisters.

Tickets, including the Rover ticket covering Wollaton Hall and Nottingham Castle, are on the Newstead Abbey website.