Armada Door Fundraiser

UPDATE - September 2021 - we are pleased to report that we have been able to move the door to a display area in the Great Hall which will prevent further deterioration away from the rigours of the weather.

The temporary replacement has been painted by the house artists in a fine tribute to the original door.

Our total fundraising for this phase of the work has a small shortfall and, thus, this appeal will remain open for a further period. We are currently assessing the cost and timescale of installing a permanent replacement and we will be launching a new fundraiser in due course. 


July 2021 - As you drive up to Westbury Arts Centre you'll most likely notice our old rather battered looking front door; local folklore says that the door panels came from the Spanish Armada.

The Armada was a large naval fleet sent from Spain to invade England in 1588. The fleet was defeated and many ships were wrecked in the battle. It is possible that valuable items were retrieved from these ship wrecks as bounty and used in peoples homes.

Mysteriously there is a carving of a sunflower on the old door. This is interesting as these flowers were not found in England at the time. Sunflowers were first brought to Spain from the New World across the Atlantic during the 16th Century. Once again this could be evidence of the origins for the door panels having come from Spain.

The door is in a very sorry state and we now need to preserve it inside Westbury and install a suitable permanent replacement.

In the event that we raise in excess of our target, we will use those funds to support the work of Westbury Arts Centre.