Urgent Grade II house repair needed for school trips

Urgent repairs to a Grade II listed house were needed to ensure pupils could visit in the winter.

Built in 1905, How Hill House near Ludham has been welcoming generations of children, helping them learn about the Norfolk Broads and nature.

However, the house needs to raise £15,000 to repair its "intricate" heating system, which includes pumps, seals and 30-year-old boilers.

Zenda Madge from the How Hill Trust said: "There are less and less places such as ours for school children to go and learn about the environment, to find out about nature and to learn about the world in their immediate vicinity."

The trust opens its doors, allowing children to explore the surrounding woods and marshes and take part in a range of activities including orienteering, boat trips, den building and camera trapping.

However, in order for schools to stay at the house when it gets colder, it is critical that the heating is fixed.

Speaking to Kayleigh Poacher on BBC Radio Norfolk, Madge said: "As all things in such an old house, they are very expensive to get sorted. At the moment, we are getting by with immersion heaters for hot water, but of course that will not help us in the winter months.

"At least they have gone this time of year, and they haven't gone wrong in February or March when it really would be catastrophic."

The trust has raised more than £3,200 towards repairs, and Madge is hopeful it could meet its target.

She continued: "It took us a while to find a heating engineer to take it on, but we've got one lined up. We are all good to go, fingers crossed.

"If we get the money, we will all be ok, and it will be fixed ready before the end of September or the beginning of October."

She said the house meant a lot to the community and "people reminisce coming here as children".

"It is an iconic Norfolk place to come and visit," she added.

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