THE Welsh Georgian Trust has been awarded funds to help them save a hidden 17th Century Catholic chapel described as “an important piece of Monmouthshire history”.

Gunter Mansion is a Grade II listed mansion house which formerly belonged to the Gunter Family. It houses a Catholic chapel dating from the late 17th Century which was hidden for over two centuries and rediscovered in the early 20th Century.

The mansion is currently owned by a commercial property, but is said to be in a poor state with the ceiling at risk of collapse.

The trust was recently awarded £125,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NMHF) and £25,000 from the Pilgrim Trust to help them purchase the Abergavenny mansion.

A crowdfunding campaign set up by the trust to coincide with the Eisteddfod also helped raise £7,655. The money will enable the trust to buy the building for £150,000 plus other costs.

Andrew Beckett, chairman of the Welsh Georgian Trust, said the building will be purchased before the end of November.

He said: “On behalf of everyone involved in supporting this project we would like to give thanks to the trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Pilgrim Trust. Without their help it is very doubtful that we would have succeeded.

“We now have a fantastic opportunity to make Gunter Mansion a great asset to Abergavenny and this part of Wales.

“We will use it to allow people to experience a fascinating and important part of our history, which will resonate with people on so many different levels.”

There is a rich history behind the mansion, as it was originally the home of the Catholic Gunter family.

Open Catholic services were held at the house by David Lewis and Philip Evans in an attic chapel in defiance of a government ban on Catholicism.

However, their activities were reported to Parliament and the priests were arrested and executed in 1679.

The chapel within the mansion was only rediscovered in the 20th century.

Mr Beckett added: “We will hopefully have purchased the building at the end of November, then we will be having consultations about the renovations and how we get this magnificent building back into shape.”