More than £100,000 will be spent to upgrade Keswick’s Moot Hall.
The work is due to start in May and will take 10 to 12 weeks to complete, involving repairs, repointing and painting to the outside of the town’s iconic structure.
“It needs a bit of TLC,” said Tony Lywood, chairman of the Battersby Hall Trust charity, which owns Moot Hall.
“We are going to be spending a considerable amount of money — into six figures — to renovate and restore the outside,” he announced to fellow members of Keswick Town Council.
Listed building consent will be required for the work, which also includes part of the roof being replaced.
Mr Lywood stressed that the charity would be working closely with Allerdale Borough Council to minimise disruption to Keswick’s Thursday and Saturday market which surrounds Moot Hall where scaffolding will be required during the project.
He explained that it had to be done in the summer because some of the original 19th century building materials, including lime mortar, that needed to be replaced could not be worked with below a certain temperature.
The Grade II listed building, which houses Keswick Tourist Information Centre on its ground floor, was bought by the charity from Allerdale Borough Council last year.
The original moot hall was built in 1571 and the current building dates to 1813.
Some councillors complained that there were several signs hanging like “flapping washing” from Moot Hall or its steps.
Mr Lywood replied that licences would have to be obtained for anyone to attach anything to the building from next year.
