National Trust Visitor Centre: Tender Success, Project Insights, and Heritage Conservation Lessons
Newark Park, the National Trust's Tudor gem in Gloucestershire — a perfect canvas for sensitive conservation work.

Thrilled to share that BluePrint secured the bid for the new visitor centre at Newark Park, the National Trust's iconic 16th-century estate in Gloucestershire. Though the project is on hold due to shifting priorities — a common reality in heritage work — this milestone validates our specialist approach to listed building conservation, sustainable refurbishments, and tender excellence.
As a conservation architect with experience on National Trust projects (including Tyntesfield House, Pentireglaze and Pentire Farm), winning this tender was a proud moment. In this post, I'll share the project background, key learnings, and why Newark Park remains a beacon for heritage innovation.
Newark Park: A Tudor Legacy Calling for a New Visitor Centre
Newark Park began as a Tudor hunting lodge built around 1550 by Sir Nicholas Poyntz, evolving into the compact manor we see today — a rare survival of Elizabethan architecture surrounded by Capability Brown-designed parkland.
The new visitor centre project aims to enhance the estate's outbuildings, creating welcoming facilities that boost visitor experience while respecting the site's Grade I-listed heritage. National Trust projects like this blend modern functionality — think accessible spaces and sustainable features — with rigorous compliance (e.g., Listed Building Consent) and low-carbon retrofits, areas where BluePrint excels.
Lessons from the Tender Process
Even with a win, feedback loops sharpen future bids. Post-notification, we sought constructive insights:
- Fee Positioning: Confirmed our submission was competitively placed, informing calibrated adjustments for similar £1.5M heritage schemes.
- Perceived Strengths: Clients valued our care, clarity, National Trust experience, and proactive sustainability — over pure price.
- Market Realities: Heritage tenders prioritise 'best value' (quality + risk coverage) amid funding flux.
Looking Ahead: Eager for Newark Park's Next Chapter
While paused, the Newark Park visitor centre holds huge potential: elevated facilities for events, education, and tourism, all honouring its Tudor roots. BluePrint remains ready — our experience (Newark Park aside) includes visitor centres at Pentireglaze and Heartlands—the latter is soon to be a National Trust property.
This experience reinforces why we love conservation architecture: turning constraints into craft.
Interested in heritage tenders or sustainable listed building work? Get in touch for a no-obligation chat. Let's conserve the past, sustainably.
Paul Channing, BluePrint Architectural Workshop.
Devon-based, working nationwide on National Trust and private estates.






























