George Eliot Visitor Centre

The re-purposing of an outbuilding from the childhood home of George Eliot will restore a local heritage asset and provide a new visitor attraction with exhibition, meeting and learning space.  This will deliver an improved heritage offer, support the creation of new businesses linked to George Eliot and provide new community space.

The George Eliot Visitor Centre is a project being driven by the Griff Preservation Trust. The aim is to re-purpose an existing outbuilding on the Griff House site, a Beefeater restaurant and Premier Inn Hotel owned by Whitbread, but which previously, from 1820-1841, was the childhood home to the internationally famous writer George Eliot. The site lies on the western edge of Griff roundabout, which links through to Nuneaton and Coventry via the A444.

The outbuilding, which is currently in a state of disrepair, will be carefully deconstructed and rebuilt to modern building regulations to enable the formation of an exhibition and sales area. Additionally, there will be a meeting and learning space on the first floor, along with the Fellowship archive. The Centre will contain temporary and permanent exhibitions relating to George Eliot.

The George Eliot Visitors Centre will help to boost tourism and encourage new visitors to the town thereby helping to sustain jobs through additional spending both within the new Centre and elsewhere in the town. The Centre will enhance Nuneaton’s leisure offer and improve the perception of the town centre by residents, businesses and visitors. It will also contribute to the development of the town centre as a diverse and vibrant place.

Funding: Total project cost £220,000. £27,500 from the Towns Fund will help to support the delivery of the new facility, with the majority of funding coming from various private sources.

Work on site is due to commence in 2023.