A condition survey has been carried out on Margate’s Tudor House which has been closed for a year after damage was caused during a burglary and other repairs were required.
There has been further damage this winter with tile slippage at the property in King Street.
The property is the oldest building in old Meergate, originally built in 1525 as a yeoman farmer’s house.
Thanet council says it is a unique example of a ‘transitional house’ – bridging the gap between medieval open-hall and early-modern houses with two storeys throughout.
A 1776 map shows a sizable farmyard surrounding it. In the 18th Century, a maltings was built at the rear to make barley beer. Between the late 17th and 19th centuries, much of the land belonging to the house was sold off and the building had been subdivided into three cottages by 1867.
The remaining site was bought by the council in the late 1930s as part of a slum clearance scheme. It was due for demolition before a local builder spotted the Tudor beams and alerted the Mayor.
Restoration then took place and was completed in 1951, using mostly Tudor construction methods and materials. The house was Grade II* listed in the same year.
In 2018 Margate Museums Trust hoped to put in a bid to take over both Margate Museum and the Tudor House after the council agreed to market both sites and Dickens House and Margate Town Hall for other organisations to take over and run.
Thanet council said the action was necessary as it did not have the funds to repair and maintain the premises.
In a report to councillors it said: “Without significant investment, it is likely that the premises will be closed in the medium term. This is not a desirable outcome for anyone.”
These plans did not come to fruition and there is also no known outcome following an offer in 2022 made by collector and long-standing Margate Museum benefactor Andrew Perloff. to take a lease on Margate’s Old Town Hall, museum, Tudor House and attached units.
A Thanet council spokesperson said: “We have carried out a full condition survey on the Tudor House, and are awaiting the report.
“This will provide us with a full picture of its current state of repair, enabling us to plan any necessary maintenance or repairs.”
Last year Thanet council put out a tender to select and appoint a supplier to carry out a Strategic Review of Thanet’s Museums, with particular focus on Dickens House Museum, Broadstairs, Margate Museum and the Tudor House.
Thanet council said: “The council owned museums need to be reshaped to ensure their security and sustainability in the future.
“The council is commissioning a short review of museums in Thanet, considering where the museums are positioned, whether this has any implications on content and/or how they should be managed. This strategic oversight is needed to help understand the future of the publicly owned museums.”
The review was commissioned to take place between June and December.
The Margate Museums Trust still hopes the museum building and Tudor House can be transferred as a community asset to its charity.
