THANKS to generous donations from supporters, the National Trust has completed a £45,000 project to restore its iconic boathouse at Winkworth Arboretum.

The trust’s fundraising appeal last November struck a chord, but civil engineering company Greenford contracted to undertake the building works, found itself up against an unexpected challenge.

Several thousand local residents needed to be relocated as part of the restoration efforts, because over the 100 years since it was built, the walls of the historic structure had become thick with bees and their hives.

Greenford director Simon Rogers said: “This project was unique and challenging in many ways. Working for the National Trust is always an incredible honour and responsibility, especially given the history of this boathouse, however the added challenge of the bees made this project especially interesting.

“They were very carefully removed and relocated and the boathouse is as good as new - if not slightly quieter.”

The boathouse is a huge draw to the 140,000 people who visit the arboretum every year, and the trust worked hard to ensure the closure period was as short as possible, with Greenford managing to complete the works in just five weeks, including inserting a time-capsule into the build as a snapshot of 2017 for future generations.

Trust premises officer Sophie Clarke said: “It’s a very exciting time for Winkworth, and we’re really happy to have been able to secure the future of Rowe’s Flashe Boathouse for our visitors to enjoy.”