Heritage and Impact Statement Blore Hall
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Anthony Short and Partners LLP 34 Church Street Ashbourne Derbyshire DE6 1AE ___________________________________________________________________________ HERITAGE AND IMPACT STATEMEN T BLORE HALL DEVELOPMENT - PROPOSED 2 NEW SINGLE STOREY FAMILY UNITS [With reference to Drawings: B20-09, B20-10, B20-11, B20-12, B20-13] 1.0 Background This document is a Heritage and Impact Statement prepared by Anthony Short and Partners LLP on behalf of our client Holiday Property Bond (HPB), with guidance from Historic England: The Setting of Heritage Assets (2015). The purpose of this statement is to assess the significance and impact on the heritage assets of Blore Hall, the church and the landscape and setting of the surrounding area by the creation of two additional family units within the HPB Bloor Hall development. 2.0 Site Location Blore is a remote village within the parish of Blore and Swinscoe, situated about four miles to the north west of Ashbourne, just south of Ilam near to Dovedale and the Derbyshire border (P1). P1 Blore Hall is situated within the village. The hall and associated buildings were converted to holiday accommodation in 1990. HPB bought the converted property in 1996 and have been used extensively by holidaymakers since 1998 when the first bookings were taken. 3.0 Historic and Arc hitectural Significance 3.1 ‘In the Domesday Survey of 1086 Blore is recorded as ‘Blora’ and belonged to Robert de Stafford. The manor was tenanted at that time by Edric. Within the manor there was enough land for five ploughs to till. The population consisted of four freemen and two villeins, or tenants who held land in return for labour services. Two furlongs of woodland were also recorded. B20 - Proposed Development – 2 New Family Holiday Units Blore Hall Page 1 Anthony Short and Partners LLP 34 Church Street Ashbourne Derbyshire DE6 1AE ___________________________________________________________________________ Blore church was founded in the early 12th century and much of it dates from around that time, though with many later additions it managed to escape Victorian alterations and is almost as it was when the last additions were made in the early 17th century. From the mid 14th century Blore was the home of the Bassett family until 1652 following the marriage of Elizabeth Bassett in 1618 took the Blore estate into the Cavendish family.’ With reference to:- Staffordshire Past Track, Staffordshire Places (staffspasttrack.org.uk) 3.3 On accessing the online Heritage Gateway (October 2014) the Derbyshire Heritage Environment Record (HER number 06062) for Blore Hall was found which made reference to the house and farm buildings:- Heritage Environment Record HER Details: MonUID: MST9738 HER Number: 06062 Type of record: Building Name: Blore Hall, Blore Summary: A listed, early 16th century manor house which was probably originally set within a moat. The house may retain elements of medieval masonry. Grid Reference: SK 1379 4940 Map Sheet: SK14NW Parish: Blore with Swinscoe, Staffordshire Moorlands District Protected Status: Listed Building (Grade II) 1757/05/063: Blore Hall Full description: The stone farmhouse has medieval masonry. The will of Sir William Bassett (died 1553) mentions a hanging in the 'greate halle of Bloore'. In 1652 Blore Hall is described as a manor house with two courts, one brewhouse, three gardens, one barn, one stable and two lead cauldrons for brewing. According to the Staffordshire Hearth Tax in 1666, Blore Hall has sixteen hearth, ranking it in size as one sixty largest houses in Staffordshire. There are a number of 15th-16th century windows in the building. At one end of the original 'great hall' there is a large fireplace while at the other end is an old beehive oven built out of handmade brick. (SB, 04-Nov-2009) On accessing The National Heritage List for England the following listed entry summary was retrieved:- List Entry Summary This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest. Name: BLORE HALL List Entry Number: 1037899 County: Staffordshire District: Staffordshire Moorlands Parish: Blore with Swinscoe National Park: PEAK DISTRICT Grade: II Date first listed: 03-Jan-1967 List Entry Description: Details - BLORE WITH SWINSCOE C.P. BLORE SK 14 NW 5/63 Blore Hall 3/1/67 GV II B20 - Proposed Development – 2 New Family Holiday Units Blore Hall Page 2 Anthony Short and Partners LLP 34 Church Street Ashbourne Derbyshire DE6 1AE ___________________________________________________________________________ Details: House. Early C16 with later alterations and additions. Red brick (English bond) with ashlar dressings and coursed limestone rubble extension; plain tile roofs; brick integral end stacks and ridge stack. The C16 plan comprised 2 parallel ranges aligned east-west, the north range projecting west and the south range projecting east, the north range was extended to the east in the C17 or C18 as far as the east end of the south range, a mid-C19 extension towards the west end of the north range is aligned north-south. South front: 2 storeys; 1:2 windows with a further blind bays width to the right, set-back north range to the left with mid-C19 porch to the right hand side and a C19 buttress to left, both flanking a 2- light flat-face mullioned window, central C16 first-floor window with 4-centred head and an inserted C19 casement; south range to the right has 16-pane glazing bar sashes with wedge lintels, that to the first floor right is blind and there is a similar but narrower window to the left of it; 6-panelled door to left of centre with rectangular overlight. Left hand gable of south range: C16 windows to ground floor left and first floor centre of two 4-centred arch lights and sunken spandrels, the former has a hollow chamfered dripstone band. North front: 2 storeys; irregular fenestration but roughly 4 bays width; lower 2-storey gabled extension to right with central ground- floor casement and central blocked first-floor window, the roof line of the extension to the left encroaches on a blocked C16 window with two 4-centred arch lights and sunken spandrels, casement to first floor right of centre within a C16 window frame, large glazing bar casement below replacing a C16 window, one jamb of which survives to the right, large cross-window to left of centre with flat-faced mullion and transom, possibly a stair window, this lies immediately left of a straight joint in the brickwork. East front: 2 and 3 storeys; 2 gabled bays and central straight joint, the left hand bay has 16-pane glazing bar sashes with wedge lintels, the right hand bay has flat- face mullioned windows, those to ground and first floor left and right have 2 lights, that to second floor centre has 4 lights. Map National Grid Reference: SK 13811 49398 The below map is for quick reference purposes only and is not to scale. Proposed site for new units © Crown Copyright and database right 2015. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900. © British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2015. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006. This copy shows the entry on 14-Apr-2015 at 12:13:32. B20 - Proposed Development – 2 New Family Holiday Units Blore Hall Page 3 Anthony Short and Partners LLP 34 Church Street Ashbourne Derbyshire DE6 1AE ___________________________________________________________________________ 4.0 Assessing Significance and Impact 4.1 The Heritage Asset s 4.1.1 The heritage assets that would be affected within and around the proposed development site, are the Blore Hall holiday complex, St Bartholomew’s Church and the setting being the countryside in which both are positioned. 4.1.2 Blore Hall is part of the growing Holiday Property Bond (HPB) portfolio consisting of 31 outstanding holiday developments throughout the UK and Europe set in stunning locations. The properties range from historic buildings which have been beautifully restored and tastefully converted, to modern, purpose-built private resorts. All the properties comprise of accommodation and facilities to a high to luxury standard. The magnificent historic (Grade II) hall and farm buildings at Blore Hall have been carefully renovated and converted as holiday apartments and cottages. The main hall is of red brick and plain clay tile construction with stone detailing to the windows and doors. The converted buildings are random coursed stone with dressed stone detailing and plain clay roof tiles. The current mix of properties at Blore Hall is:- 1 studio, 7 one-bedroom cottages, 26 two-bedroom cottages, 6 three-bedroom cottages and 1 four-bedroom cottage. The restoration and conversion of Blore Hall to its present form has made it a significant contributor to the setting and surrounding countryside. The buildings and grounds have been enhanced and are maintained to a high standard. Thoughtful and careful tree and shrub planting have ensured that certain areas eg tennis courts and car parks are not openly visible from the road, neighbouring areas or buildings. 4.1.3 St Bartholomews Church is set within trees in an elevated position to the west of Blore Hall. The church is medieval and listed grade I and mostly untouched by the Victorians it has many original features. The building is open daily and services are held every Sunday. Although adjacent to Blore Hall the hall’s high stone west boundarywall, church lane and mature trees surrounding the church allow both heritage assets to enjoy their own space without being overlooked or affected by the other. The church contributes to the Bloor Hall heritage asset not only because of its historic and religious interest but also because it is surrounded by church grounds of unique, natural and peaceful beauty.