Bramall Hall & Park Conservation Management Plan
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DONALD INSALL ASSOCIATES Chartered Architects, Historic Building & Planning Consultants BRAMALL HALL, STOCKPORT Conservation Management Plan September 2010 BRAMALL HALL Conservation Management Plan This page has been left blank intentionally Donald Insall Associates Ltd STBH.03 c.002 Final Version – September 2010 BRAMALL HALL Conservation Management Plan BRAMALL HALL CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN for STOCKPORT METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL Prepared by Donald Insall Associates Ltd. Bridgegate House 5 Bridge Place Chester CH1 1SA Tel. 01244 350063 Fax. 01244 350064 www.insall-architects.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2010 Donald Insall Associates Ltd i STBH.03 c.002 Final Version – September 2010 BRAMALL HALL Conservation Management Plan This page has been left blank intentionally Donald Insall Associates Ltd STBH.03 c.002 Final Version –September 2010 BRAMALL HALL Conservation Management Plan BRAMALL HALL CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................1 1.1 Background to the Plan ...............................................................................................1 1.2 Production of the Plan and Copyright .........................................................................1 1.3 The Site Location, its Setting and Notes on Orientation .............................................2 1.4 General Purpose and Scope of the Plan.......................................................................2 1.5 Structure of the Plan....................................................................................................3 1.6 Methodology ...............................................................................................................4 2.0 UNDERSTANDING THE SITE ..............................................................................9 2.1 A Short Introduction....................................................................................................9 2.2 Historic Landscape Development of Bramall Hall Park .............................................9 2.3 Bramhall from Prehistory to the 14th Century ..........................................................10 2.4 Development of the Hall and Park: 14th to mid 17th Century..................................11 2.5 Historic Landscape Development: Figures ...............................................................30 2.6 The Development of Bramall Hall ............................................................................63 2.7 Understanding the ecology of the site and buildings.................................................91 2.8 Understanding – Tenure And Current Management ...............................................102 3.0 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SITE .........................................................................107 3.1 Significance.............................................................................................................107 3.2 Ways of looking at Significance..............................................................................108 3.3 The Contribution of Past Generations .....................................................................109 3.4 Architecture and Design..........................................................................................111 3.5 Society and People ..................................................................................................121 3.6 Archaeology and Ecology .......................................................................................126 3.7 The Sum of the Parts ...............................................................................................128 3.8 Summary of Significance ........................................................................................129 4.0 RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES .........................................................................135 4.1 Research and Understanding ...................................................................................135 4.2 Ownership and Management...................................................................................137 4.3 Landscape and setting .............................................................................................140 4.4 The Building Fabric.................................................................................................144 4.5 Condition of Building Services ...............................................................................156 4.6 Collections, furnishings and exhibitions .................................................................157 4.7 Ecology and environmental issues ..........................................................................159 4.8 Access and signage..................................................................................................162 4.9 Education and interpretation ...................................................................................163 4.10 Hospitality, catering and commercial aspects .........................................................165 5.0 POLICIES..............................................................................................................169 5.1 Policy aims and format............................................................................................169 5.2 Research and Understanding (RU)..........................................................................170 5.3 Ownership and management (OM) .........................................................................173 5.4 Landscape, setting and ecology (LE) ......................................................................175 Donald Insall Associates Ltd ii STBH.03 c.002 Final Version –September 2010 BRAMALL HALL Conservation Management Plan 5.5 Building Fabric (BF) ...............................................................................................179 5.6 Building services (BS).............................................................................................184 5.7 Collections, furnishings and exhibitions (CO) ........................................................185 5.8 Environmental issues (EN)......................................................................................186 5.9 Access and signage (AS).........................................................................................187 5.10 Educational opportunities (ED)...............................................................................188 5.11 Interpretation (IN) ...................................................................................................188 5.12 Hospitality and the visitor experience (HV)............................................................189 5.13 Catering, commercial activities and events. (CE) ...................................................190 6.0 GAZETTEER ........................................................................................................193 6.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................193 APPENDICES APPENDIX A TREE SURVEY APPENDIX B SCHEDULE OF 19th CENTURY AND 20th CENTURY ALTERATIONS TO HALL APPENDIX C BAT SURVEY APPENDIX D OUTLINE CONDITION SURVEY APPENDIX E SITE & VEGETATION SURVEY Donald Insall Associates Ltd iii STBH.03 c.002 Final Version –September 2010 BRAMALL HALL Conservation Management Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Bramall Hall is one of most important timber framed mansions in Britain. It is a prime example of the decorative timber framing tradition of NW England and illustrates timber framing techniques from the mid 15th century to the late 16th century. The Hall contains high quality interior decoration and craftsmanship from across the 16th and 17th centuries, including nationally rare wall paintings. As well as this rich early history the Hall is a fine example of late 19th century antiquarian restoration, carried out by local industrialist and philanthropist Charles Nevill. It has collections of furnishings and artefacts, some associated with the Davenport and Nevill eras. The current appearance of Hall and Park owes much to the work of Charles Nevill, who saved Bramall from possible demolition or development. The Park is of value in its own right and as a setting for the Hall. It illustrates the development of landscape design from 18th century onwards and serves as a good example of a 19th century eclectic landscape. The Park contains a largely intact group of estate buildings and number of different habitats of varied ecological interest, in particular woodlands and water features. The estate as a whole also has considerable archaeological potential. Undertaking the Conservation Management Plan (CMP) has highlighted the national and regional importance of the Hall. Since coming into public ownership the Hall and Park have tended to be seen as separate entities. The CMP has brought recognition of the buildings and landscape as an entity and highlighted in particular the common influence and high value of Nevill’s contribution. The CMP has shown the potential to restore the Park landscape, as both a coherent design and appropriate setting for the Hall. This recognition of the site as a coherent historical entity has further underlined the inconsistency of the Hall and Park being in joint ownership by SMBC but run separately. This two part management has resulted in a lack of comprehensive vision or business plan for Hall and Park. The CMP describes ways in which