Heritage Statement Brodsworth Hall Eyecatcher Listed Building Consent for masonry repairs December 2020 Introduction 1. This Heritage Statement has been prepared in support of a Listed Building Consent application for repairs to the Grade II listed Eyecatcher in the grounds of Brodsworth Hall. The Heritage Statement considers the impacts of the proposed works on the building and its setting. Introduction to the site 2. Brodsworth Hall, situated 3km west of Adwick-le-Street and 9km north-west of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, is a late 19th century Grade I listed country house set within a Grade II* registered garden and parkland. The house is Italianate in style and is of a single phase of construction (1861-1863), being built by Charles Sabine Thellusson to replace a demolished 18th century house the site of which is located a short distance to the north. 3. Built from the proceeds of the controversial will of Peter Thellusson who died in 1797, but aimed to control his estate beyond the grave by leaving £700,000 with its accumulated interest to be inherited by the eldest great grandson following the deaths of all intermediate lineal male descendants. The guardianship site forms the core of the much larger Brodsworth Estate and inextricably linked with the Thellusson family who have owned it since the late 18th century. The Eyecatcher 4. The Eyecatcher is situated above the former quarry, elevated high above the Target Range. The Target Range, with the Grove, is c160m long and truncated at the north end by a summer house known as the Target House or Archery Pavilion. The range was used as an archery range in the 1880s and as an army target range during the Second World War. The Grove utilises the quarry wall as a backdrop, and the Eyecatcher and Target House are both focal points in this part of the gardens, truncating the views along the Target Range in both directions. 5. The significance of the Grade II listed Eyecatcher is inextricably linked with this part of the garden, the Grade II listed Target House, and the wider Grade II* Registered Brodsworth Park and Garden. From the Fern Dell bridge (Grade II) the Eyecatcher is viewed alongside the Garden Temple (Grade II). 6. The Eyecatcher structure consists of an earth mound and limestone façade with sandstone copings. The façade has a blind doorway and windows. It was constructed in c.1866 of reclaimed masonry from the Old Hall (demolished 1861). 7. The structure was completely overgrown when works to restore the gardens started in the 1990s, and it was not discovered until 1994 (see Figure 1). Since then, the ivy has encroached upon the structure once again, and dislodged some of the coping stones. 8. The structure was recorded in 1997, and a socket at the top of the mound was noted, and referred to as a flag pole or gas light socket (see Appendix 1). In the recent works in the garden a redundant gas tap was discovered, which supports one the 1995 interpretation of the socket as a gas light holder. English Heritage plans to carry out further research into this part of the garden, including the Eyecatcher mound, in 2021. Figure 1: Photograph of Eyecatcher from English Heritage Conservation Bulletin 2001 Figure 2: Eyecatcher following clearance of ivy in November 2020 9. The extract from Brodsworth Hall Conservation Plan, detailing the Eyecatcher, is attached in Appendix II. Significance 10. Eyecatcher is of is of high architectural value, and of very high significance in terms of group value with the Garden Temple and the Target House. The architectural significance will be enhanced by the proposed works, reinstating missing elements of the building. The structure is of very high communal value, which will be enhanced by enhancing visibility of the structure. 11. Historically, it has strong associations with this part of the Grade II* Park and Garden and Grade I listed Brodsworth Hall, and reflects the changing use of gardens and leisure pursuits from the 1860s onwards. The structure is of high aesthetic value as part of the wider designed landscape. The high evidential value is associated with the both the links with the Old Hall and the evidence if the historic function, incorporating gas lighting. Proposals 12. Some of the coping stones have been dislodged over time. These missing elements have been stored on site, and can be reinstated. New stone to match will be sourced where required. The façade will be re-pointed, retaining the historic mortar, and using a mortar mix and finish complement the existing historic mortars. 13. The proposed repairs are the minimum necessary to ensure that the structure is stabilised, and that rainwater can we discharged effectively, and necessary to sustain the heritage values outlined in this document. 14. The repairs are to be fully documented by photographic record. Design and Access Statement 15. The proposed works will ensure that the structure is stabilised and safe. The improved condition of the structure will ensure that the vegetation can be managed by the Brodsworth Hall Gardens Team. 16. Overall, it is felt that the proposed reinstatement of missing masonry from the Eyecatcher will enhance the heritage values associated with the Grade II listed Structure. The stabilisation of the structure will enable further research in 2021 to better understand this part of the Grade II* Registered Park and Garden. Appendix I: Photographs Appendix I: 1997 survey of the Eyecatcher (Historic England Archive) Appendix II: Extract from the 2014 Conservation Plan Appendix III: Extract from listing GV II .