Conservation works at Hyde Abbey Gateway to begin next spring
Winchester City Council has confirmed Hyde Abbey Gateway in Winchester will receive significant conservation improvements in spring 2027.
Residents and visitors will soon see another Scheduled Monument in Winchester benefitting from significant restoration, as the city council has now appointed a specialist contractor.
This project will aim to restore and safeguard one of Winchester's most important historic landmarks, located close to the site of the former Hyde Abbey where King Alfred the Great was originally buried.
The restoration will involve traditional lime mortar repairs, so spring presents a good time to begin the works which will also include wider landscaping carried out later in 2027.
The city council’s project team has been working closely with ecological specialists, as surveys identified the presence of Pipistrelle bats. Appropriate licences and mitigation measures will be put in place to ensure that these protected species are safeguarded throughout the project.
Cllr Martin Tod, Leader of Winchester City Council, said: "The Hyde Abbey Gateway is a hidden gem of the city and one of Winchester's most remarkable historic monuments.
"I'm pleased that a contractor has now been appointed and that work is scheduled to begin next year. Heritage works of this nature are complex and this marks an exciting stage of a long project that has involved numerous surveys and consent from Historic England.
"As we celebrate King Alfred Weekend, commemorating the anniversary of the King’s death on 26th October 899, it's really pleasing we can now announce the works starting to restore and maintain this important part of Winchester's history for future generations."
Hyde Abbey Gateway improvements will commence next year, which follows the significant works to clean, restore and repair The Buttercross Scheduled Monument.