Alistair Hardaker
Image: Halls Croft rear elevation panels removed © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Charity introduces symbolic timber adoption scheme as part of £500,000 appeal for Grade I listed Jacobean building damaged in October.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has launched an “adopt-a-beam” fundraising initiative as part of a £500,000 appeal to conserve Hall’s Croft, one of England’s most significant Jacobean buildings.
Hall’s Croft was the former home of William Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna Hall and her husband Dr John Hall.
The fundraising campaign follows an accident on 17 October when a driver accidentally reversed into the timber-framed house, shattering several oak beams and leaving a hole in the roadside wall.
Vehicle causes significant damage to Shakespeare’s Hall’s Croft building
The campaign, titled “A House for All Time”, allows donors to symbolically fund individual timbers in the 400-year-old property. Donors at different levels will receive sealed certificates of adoption for the timber, whilst the highest tier of donation includes an actual piece of salvaged Hall’s Croft timber.
The Trust is seeking to raise £500,000 immediately as part of a £2.5m conservation programme for the Grade I listed building.
The trust’s conservation team installed emergency scaffolding within hours to stabilise the site. It said that the driver’s insurance will cover immediate repairs, but the incident has accelerated the need for unfunded conservation work already planned for the property.
The property remains closed to general visitors due to ongoing conservation work.
Rachael North, chief executive of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said the incident was “a stark reminder of how vulnerable our heritage is, and how vital it is to invest in its protection.”
The charity had already commenced conservation work on the building’s ageing timber frame earlier in 2025, supported by a 2024 donation from playwright Ken Ludwig.
Ludwig said: “Hall’s Croft is one of the most human connections with Shakespeare the man that exists in the world, and donating to Phase One of the conservation of the building is one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done.
“There are a number of ways we can all support Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and one of them is symbolically supporting the very timbers that have held this house up for over 400 years.”
Donations can be made via www.shakespeare.org.uk/support, whilst businesses and individuals interested in partnership opportunities can contact the fundraising team at [email protected].
