Alistair Hardaker | Image: © Waddesdon Image Library, Merriman Photography
Waddesdon Manor to install 46 vertical boreholes beneath its North Lawn, leaving no surface trace, as it replaces gas heating with a ground source heat pump.
Waddesdon Manor is to install a ground source heat pump system using 46 vertical boreholes beneath its North Lawn, an approach chosen in part to avoid visible plant at the Grade I listed house.
The National Trust, which owns the manor, and the Rothschild Foundation, which manages it, have announced a partnership to replace the property’s gas heating with the system. The National Trust describes it as its largest ground source heat pump installation.
Each of the 46 boreholes will be 160 metres deep and sited in the North Lawn in front of the manor. They will transfer heat from the ground to heat pumps in the manor basement, providing heating and hot water throughout the building.
According to the partners, a ground source system was selected for its ability to minimise the visual impact on the house. Once the works are complete, there will be no evidence of the underground network of pipes and no emissions on site.
The manor’s current gas system is over 25 years old, with seven boilers and three hot water cylinders burning almost one million kWh of gas a year. The new system will remove gas from the property entirely, cutting emissions by 124 tonnes a year and delivering over 500,000 kWh of renewable heat annually. Removing the mains gas supply will also reduce the manor’s exposure to volatile gas prices.
The system is also intended to help preserve the manor’s collection of art and furniture by providing a stable temperature, avoiding spikes and dips whether the house is open or closed.
Paul Cook, project sponsor and assistant director of operations at the National Trust, called the project a “major step forward in our ambition to reduce carbon emissions across our estate.”
Pippa Shirley, project sponsor and director of Waddesdon Manor for the Rothschild Foundation, said the project “expresses more clearly than any words the Rothschild Foundation and the National Trust’s determination to put conservation, stewardship and the environment at the heart of their long-term strategy.
“It’s also an opportunity for us to explain and talk about sustainable systems with the public and to show that they are possible to achieve even in a historic listed building.”
The first phase begins in August 2026 with the drilling of the boreholes. Internal work will start in November 2026, with completion scheduled for April 2027. The North Lawn will close during the borehole drilling and groundworks, though the manor and grounds will otherwise remain open for as much of the project as possible.
The house and gardens will close to the public on 29 November 2026 so that internal works and electricity supply upgrades can take place. The manor will remain closed over the winter, including Christmas, before reopening in March 2027 ahead of its 150th anniversary celebrations that year.
