2021 has started off with some excellent news. Catherine Parry-Wingfield has been appointed a Medallist of the Order of the British Empire; in other words, she’s been awarded a BEM in the New Year Honours list. Her award is for ‘voluntary service to Heritage’.

Catherine’s award is extremely well deserved. Without Catherine’s tireless perseverance, patience, fundraising and endless hard work, the restoration of Sandycombe Lodge would never have been achieved. Catherine took on the task after meeting Professor Livermore in the local post office. Learning that he wished ‘to give the house to the nation, but the nation didn’t seem to want it’ she set up the Friends of Turner’s House. This support convinced Professor Livermore of the strength of local interest and in 2005 the Sandycombe Lodge Trust, now Turner’s House Trust, was formed. On Professor Livermore’s death in 2010 the Trust became the owner of Sandycombe Lodge. Catherine was Chair of the Trust from 2013 to 2019 and is now its Honorary Patron.

As an art historian Catherine used her professional skills to undertake research into the history of the house and to find ways of furnishing it appropriately. She worked tirelessly with dedicated specialists to conserve this quiet country retreat of one of the country’s most important landscape painters. Her knowledge and passion for the house is endless and enduring.

Catherine’s latest contribution to Sandycombe Lodge is through the Thames Luminaries lecture series where Catherine will be talking about the garden at Sandycombe on Thursday 28th January 2021 at 6pm (details HERE)

On behalf of Turner’s House Trust, I would like to offer Catherine our many congratulations.

Ricky Pound,
House Director

January 18, 2021