Compton Verney has made “tough decision” to slash its opening hours by a day as it faces financial challenges

A landmark Warwickshire attraction has made the “tough decision” to slash its opening hours by a day as it faces financial challenges.

Compton Verney, the art gallery and museum set in palatial parkland near Wellesbourne, will now be closed on Tuesdays – meaning it will be open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, effective from 1st April.

The sad news comes just a week after culture secretary Lisa Nandy gave a lecture at the RSC’s Other Place and announced £270m more funding for the arts. Although local museums were singled out for extra help, Compton Verney was not among them.

It is an independent charity whose core funding comes the endowment of its founder Sir Peter Moores – the Pools heir – which contributes around 37 per cent of funding. It also gets around three per cent comes from Arts Council England, but its biggest income stream comes from visitors through memberships and benefactors, donations and admissions.

A statement released by the team at Compton Verney about the reduced hours said: “In response to the ongoing challenging financial context facing the cultural sector, we have explored and undertaken various options to reduce our costs while maintaining our mission of connecting people with art, nature and creativity, and to preserve the future of Compton Verney.

“After careful consideration and consultation with staff, we’ve taken the difficult decision to close for an additional day each week.

“Although we have seen growth in visitor numbers and income year-on-year, the unprecedented increase in the costs of running Compton Verney have outstripped that growth. The funding and cost of running of cultural organisations has been a challenge for a long time but has become particularly challenging since the impact of energy increases and the cost of living crisis. Many arts and cultural organisations are in the same position and are also having to make difficult decisions.”

Geraldine Collinge, CEO of Compton Verney, added: “The decision to reduce our opening days is not a decision we have come to lightly but is as an independent charity and registered art gallery we must ensure our long-term sustainability.

“Arts and cultural organisations are operating in an increasingly challenging financial context and there are many organisations like us having to take difficult decisions.

“We understand this will be a disappointing announcement for many people, but we do hope that our valued benefactors, members and all other visitors will continue to support us through these challenging times.”

Compton Verney is home to six world-class art collections, a programme of exhibition exhibitions, a sculpture park and a café – with acres of outdoor space to explore.

There has been a manor house on the site since at least the 15th century. The current mansion was remodeled by prominent Scottish neoclassical architect Robert Adam in the 1760s.

In 1993 the visual arts charity the Peter Moores Foundation restored the property and added exhibition spaces. It now houses the British Folk Art Collection, the largest collection of British naive art in the UK.