Design, Access and Heritage Statement

Blickling Hall,

Proposed upgrade to fire doors in the East Wing

August 2019 , Eastern Region.

Replacement of 6No existing fire doors, general repairs and replacement of door holders and change of opening direction on final escape door, to maintain fire compartmentation of the East Wing, Hall, Norfolk.

Rev.A 8th August 2019

1. Design, Access and Heritage Statement

Blickling Hall is a grade I listed Manor House, listing attached, that is located within Grade II* C17 and C18 formal garden with mid C19 development by Markham Nesfield, William Wyatt, and Constance, Lady Lothian and further garden work by Norah Lindsay in the 1930s, surrounded by an extensive early C18 park.

In the 15th century, Blickling was Sir John Fastolf of Caster in Norfolk (1380–1459), who made a fortune during the Hundred Years War and whose coat of arms is still on display there. The property then passed to the . A statue and portrait of Anne may be found at Blickling Estate which carry the inscription, "Anna Bolena hic nata 1507" ( born here 1507).

The house as seen today was built on the ruins of the old Boleyn property during the reign of James 1 by Sir Henry Hobart, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and the1st Baronet, who bought Blickling from Robert Clere in 1616. Sir Henry employed the architect Robert Lymage to oversee the works and following the Baronet’s marriage to Dorothy, daughter of Sir Robert Bell of Beaupre Hall Norfolk, the design incorporated a grand display of heraldic material throughout the estate.

In 1698 the estate passed down to Sir John Hobart, the 5th Baronet who was responsible for creating the ha-ha and building the Doric Temple in the grounds, as well as extending the park by the purchase of adjacent land. His son re-modelled the hall between 1765 and 1785. And although the estate then passed down to his youngest daughter Caroline, who was married to Lord Suffield, the couple died childless resulting in the estate being devolved to Caroline's the Kerr family, William Kerr, the 8th Marquess of Lothian, re-modelled the western façade.

In December 1940, the Blickling estate passed into the care of the National Trust as part of the bequest of Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian, under the terms of the Country Houses Scheme. During the Second World War, the house was requisitioned and served as the Officers' Mess of nearby RAF Oulton, the servicemen and women being billeted within the grounds in Nissan huts, whilst the Officers were housed within Blickling itself. The adjacent lake was used by RAF service personnel to practice dinghy drills. The National Trust have created the RAF Oulton Museum within the East range in tribute to the RAF pilots and ground crew who served in the Second World War.

At the end of the war, the house was de-requisitioned. The National Trust again let it to tenants until 1960, when the Trust began the work to restore the house to a style reflecting its history. The house and grounds were opened to the public in 1962 and remain open under the name of "Blickling Estate".

2. Proposed work.

The location of the doors can be seen on drawing NT-BF001-2019.

A. New FD 30 flat panelled door with, door closure and dorgard. B. New FD 30 flat panelled door with, door closure and dorgard. C. New FD 30 flat panelled door with, door closure and dorgard, 2No intumescent grills. D. New FD 30 flat panelled door with, door closure and dorgard. E. New FD 30 flat panelled door with, door closure and dorgard. F. Change to outward opening and provide panic latch. G. Remove existing floor mounted door holder and replace, renew smoke seals as the existing ones have been painted over. H. Remove existing floor mounted door holder and replace, renew smoke seals as the existing ones have been painted over. I. Remove existing floor mounted door holder and replace, install smoke seals, renew intumescent paint. J. Replace door as existing has a number of old door furniture penetrations which are now redundant, door closure and dorgard required. K. Replace door as existing has a number of old door furniture penetrations which are now redundant, door closure and dorgard required. L. Smoke seals need replacing, intumescent paint needs to be renewed, dorgards M. Smoke seals need replacing, intumescent paint needs to be renewed, dorgards required.

3. Impact of the proposed works on the Listed Building Blickling Hall is an important Grade I Listed Building in Norfolk. The proposed works are considered essential to safeguard the fire and future structural integrity of this building. Existing doors are 20th Century in origin.

4. Appearance, Mass and Scale The proposed refurbishment does not change or affect the existing appearance, mass or scale of Blickling Hall.

5. Access The proposed refurbishment works does not change or affect the existing access

arrangements for Blickling Hall.

6. Drawing List NT ownership Plan Location Plan NT-BF001-2019 Location of fire doors. NT-BF002-2019 Sheets 1 to 3 Existing fire doors. NT-BF003-2019 Proposed fire door details.

7. Additional information Blickling Hall listing. Dorgard Fitting and Operating Guide.