17 Royal York Crescent, Bristol
20 June 2018
16 Núr 175 B.E.
To all believers in the United Kingdom
Dearly loved Friends,
The National Spiritual Assembly is pleased to share with you the joyful news of the commencement of work on the restoration of the apartment at 17 Royal York Crescent, Bristol, where the beloved Master stayed on two occasions during his visits to Britain in 1911 and 1913.
During His first visit, the Master visited every part of what was then a Guest House, belonging to Wellesley Tudor-Pole, blessing and dedicating each room in the service of Bahá’u’lláh and promising that it would become a centre of peace and rest for pilgrims from East and West. The apartment itself was the site of the original salon, the scene of a number of remarkable meetings at which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke with scores of friends.
The National Assembly was gifted this property in 2014 and since that time efforts have been under way to formulate a comprehensive plan for its development as a place of particular historic and spiritual importance, which will in due course be open for special visits. Foremost in the National Assembly’s mind has been to bring the apartment closer to its appearance when ‘Abdu’l-Baha blessed it with His presence, while providing facilities for visitors.
In 2016, Bristol City Council approved the request to change the use of the apartment to be a place of prayer and meditation, paving the way for the application of planning permission to restore this precious site.
A tender has now been accepted from an expert building company in the South West of England that offers full conservation and restoration of historic buildings. This company’s high quality work can be seen in churches, cathedrals, stately homes and monuments across Somerset and the South West. Work will now commence on the first stage of stripping out the modern elements of the apartment, replacing and repairing the outside windows, and creating kitchen and bathroom facilities leading off the main staircase.
The National Spiritual Assembly is certain that you will join with it in rejoicing at this development. The Universal House of Justice has offered its prayers at the Sacred Threshold that the efforts to restore this historic property may be blessed with divine confirmations. The friends are lovingly invited to lend their spiritual and material support to this significant enterprise.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Patrick O’Mara, Secretary
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