A HERITAGE STATEMENT Relating to BAWTRY HALL BAWTRY NR DONCASTER DN10 6 JH (OS GRID REFERENCE SK6506692876) Client MR J. COOPER Prepared by DAVID HORNSBY B.Sc., FRICS, BCAS (RICS ACCREDITED BUILDING CONSERVATION SURVEYOR) David Hornsby Chartered Surveyors & Historic Building Conservation Surveyors 39 Fore Hill Avenue Doncaster, DN4 7EU 01302 371723 & 07939200779 1 CONTENTS 1) INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND 2) BAWTRY HALL AS IT EXISTS TODAY 3) THE PERIOD UP TO 1939 4) WORLD WAR II 5) THE COLD WAR 6) LIFE AFTER THE RAF 7) THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BAWTRY HALL & ASSOCIATED HERITAGE VALUES 8) FACTORS AFFECTING THE SIGNIFICANCE & SETTING OF BAWTRY HALL 9) THE IMPACT OF CURRENT PROPOSALS ON THE HERITAGE ASSET 10) CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES 2 1 INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND 1.1 This Heritage Statement has been prepared having regard to Paragraph No 128 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which states; “In determining applications, local authorities should require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage asset affected, including any contribution made by their setting. The level of detail should be proportionate to the assets’ importance and no more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact of the proposals affecting heritage assets” 1.2 The task of preparing this heritage statement has not been an easy process and this reflects to a certain extent; 1) The complexity to the development of the property in the 18th and 19th centuries together with early 20th century alterations. 2) From the period of 1939 to 1986 the Hall was owned by the Government and throughout most of that period was an operational base for the RAF (RAF Bawtry Hall) and as such, was a place which was controlled within the meaning of the Official Secrets Act 1911 et seq. 3) Access to information relating to the military occupation, despite innovations with the Freedom to Information legislation, is somewhat limited and the public available information, relating to the buildings is fragmented amongst different Governmental & Agency organizations 4) A degree of uncertainty appears to exist with regard to the role which RAF Bawtry Hall played in the Cold War and also with regard to the Second World War there is a degree of confusion as to the significance of Command Building the remaining surviving RAF constructed buildings in the operation of the station as the Headquarters of No1 Group Bomber Command from 1941. 5) Archived information is fragmented and whilst visits have been made to the National Archives in Kew, Doncaster MBC and Sheffield City Archives further information may well be located in other scattered locations. However based upon the considerable research undertaken so far, it is possible to provide some detail relating to the historic development of the property up to 1939 when it was last used as a private house and then thereafter during the period of occupation by the RAF until the 1980’s. 1.3 In terms of good conservation practice having regard to guidance and policy documents such as English Heritage’s Conservation Principles the importance of understanding the significance of places is vital. In order to ascertain the significance of Bawtry Hall I have looked at the development of the property up to 1939 as a 3 private Estate, the period of military occupation(including early army use, RAF war time use and post war) and post military use after 1986. In terms of the RAF occupation it is important to make a distinction between the war time operation between 1941 and 1945 and the post war operations which continued until the property was sold by the property services agency in 1986 after being declared surplus to military requirements. 1.4 Post military use has created the need to make necessary changes and new challenges face the heritage asset. Essentially this is the prime reason which has given rise to the current application so that the asset can exist in beneficial use for the next stage of its life. Beneficial use, is of course vital, in order to maintain the fabric of the heritage asset so that the heritage values associated with the property from whatever period, can continue to be enjoyed by current and future generations. Within this statement I look at a number of heritage values which may be historic, architectural or even sensory/spiritual. 1.5 It is probably a fair observation to make that following the property being made surplus to military requirements little or no consideration was given to the impact that future residential development, particularly in the grounds of the Hall, would have on the heritage values associated with the Hall itself. Indeed, the political considerations at the time of disposal of redundant military property were directed towards the sale of land and property assets, in order to obtain a capital receipt ( in circumstances which didn’t always maximize the level of receipt to the public purse) rather than preserving, enhancing/refurbishing the heritage values associated with heritage assets. Whilst latterly in the further disposal of the grounds of the Hall for residential development, a development brief was prepared by the local planning authority in response to a rather detrimental proposed residential development within the grounds of the Hall, there was no consideration given towards directing some of the development value realized from the eventually approved housing development schemes, towards specific repairs and refurbishment of the Hall necessary to overcome adverse factors associated with setting. Within this analysis of the development of the Hall it can clearly be seen that the RAF development, particularly the Command Block, has caused significant harm to the pre 1939 part of the Hall and it is therefore disappointing that some of the proceeds from sale were not used to deal with these issues. The local planning authority had a difficult task with regard to the Central Government policy regarding the disposal of public assets and at the time there was no obligation for applicants to provide Heritage Statements. In the circumstances appertaining at the time the development brief was about the best that could be hoped for but essentially the development did cause substantial harm to the significance and setting of Bawtry Hall having regard to the research and study undertaken to prepare this statement. 4 1.6 It is unlikely that any significant research or reports relating to previous applications within the grounds have been undertaken which combine the various periods of the life of Hall covering the 18th century through to the current day. Regarding the RAF period extensive research has been undertaken to look at the workings of the chain of command which existed in Bomber Command particularly in relation to Group Headquarters of which Bawtry Hall was the headquarters of No 1 Group. Unfortunately the records which are publically available in the National Archives in Kew are mainly limited to operational logs which were prepared as returns to Group HQ for the Post War period. Nevertheless, these records have proved invaluable in terms of helping to understand how the RAF Station operated in post war years as the Group Headquarters serving a number of operational bomber stations. Some information (although limited) exists in the National Archives about service accommodation building projects undertaken in the 1950’s within the grounds of the Hall. Information relating to more technical buildings and operations are not available within the records which have been released to Kew. As a specialist in the survey of historic country houses, throughout the UK, I have encountered a large number of properties which were requisitioned in the War for military use and then returned to civilian use. Some interpretation is available from analysis of historic plans in relation to historic building analysis. In the case of Bawtry Hall there is rather unique cine film footage (https://archive.org/details/NIGHT-BOMBERS) provided by Air Commodore H.I. Cozens, CB,AFC, RAF: who was Station Commander, at the time, for RAF Hemswell (located between Gainsborough and Lincoln), one of the bomber stations within No 1 Group .Henry Cozens was also attached to No1 Group HQ at Bawtry Hall as Senior Air Staff Officer ( SASO) .The film was originally prepared to show to newly posted aircrew the extent of operation planning into mounting a raid. The film shows the preparations undertaken for a night bombing raid on Berlin and importantly the film shows footage of Bawtry Hall clearly illustrating and describing the role of Group HQ in the raid. The footage is particularly helpful in that it shows parts of the accommodation of Bawtry Hall clearly recognisable today. Probably the most important feature from the film is the footage of the Operation Room which was what I have described in the report as being the billiard room in the pre War use of the building. I provide strong evidence within my building analysis of the Hall to indicate that the billiard room was added in 1905. This would therefore provide strong evidence to indicate that the remaining RAF building incorporating the Command Block was constructed post 1945 even though the large display board in the room currently on display, relates to the Order of Battle for 3 March 1943. Examination of the ordnance Survey plans in the late 1940’s would tend to support the evidence from the film that the current Command Block is post war and probably dates back to the 1950’s. 5 1.7 In terms of the Cold War activity at Bawtry Hall regard has to be given to a number of background factors in order to interpret the fragmented information that exits. Such interpretation also reflects on the operational requirements on the buildings at RAF Bawtry Hall in this period.