The Mayor of Stevenage visited a Knebworth heritage site "at risk".

Councillor Myla Arceno was welcomed to Knebworth House by Henry Lytton Cobbold, to view the emergency structural repairs ongoing at the historic landmark.

As Mayor of Stevenage, Cllr Arceno is an ex-officio trustee of the Knebworth House Education and Preservation Trust (KHEPT), a charity whose purpose is to preserve and maintain Knebworth House and Gardens for the benefit of the public.

In 2012, Knebworth House was designated by English Heritage as a ‘Priority Building at Risk’.

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Costs to complete the essential repairs are currently estimated at £13.5 million.

That figure, if it can be raised, will secure the building, but the charitable trust will then need an endowment beyond this to continue the preservation of this precious local asset into the future.

For more information on KHEPT, visit www.knebworthhouse.com/khept

To donate to Knebworth House Education and Preservation Trust click here.

This was Cllr Myla Arceno's first visit to Knebworth House as a trustee.

She was shown around the Hertfordshire stately home by the person who knows it best, custodian Henry Lytton Cobbold, who pointed out the work the charity has successfully completed over its nearly 40-year-history.

Henry Lytton Cobbold said: “We work hard to present Knebworth House to visitors in its best light, however it is important for those who care for it to understand the problems that are not always visible.

Having local councillors give their time as trustees to listen to the issues and look deeper into the charity’s challenges is a great support and very much appreciated.”

The Knebworth House Education and Preservation Trust is a fine example of how the local authorities and private owners can work together to preserve our national heritage.

The Mayor of Stevenage, chairman of North Herts Council, and chairman of Knebworth Parish Council are all invited to act as KHEPT ex-officio trustees during their term of office.

Following her tour of the house, Cllr Myla Arceno commented on Instagram: “It was a great privilege to have a special tour of the house from Henry Lytton Cobbold himself with all the stories and history of 500 years, and a warm welcome from Martha.”