1 Canonbury Place Heritage Assessment
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A 1 CANONBURY PLACE HERITAGE ASSESSMENT LB Islington February 2018 London N1 2NG A Job no. 1172 1 CANONBURY PLACE, LONDON N1 2NG HERITAGE ASSESSMENT Last update: 13/02/2018 Status: Final Version: 1d Issues: 4 CONTENTS: I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... 3 2. RELEVANT POLICY, LEGISLATION AND GUIDANCE .................................................................................... 6 3. UNDERSTANDING VALUES: CANONBURY MANOR AND NOS 1-5 CANONBURY PLACE ................... 9 4. DESCRIPTION OF SITE AND SURROUNDINGS ........................................................................................... 18 5. ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE .................................................................................................................. 26 6. ASSESSMENT OF PROPOSED WORKS ......................................................................................................... 34 7. CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................................................. 37 8. SOURCES ........................................................................................................................................................... 39 TABLES: TABLE 1 Planning history of no 1 Canonbury Place TABLE 2 Levels of Significance TABLE 3 Selection criteria for assessing suitability of assets for heritage listing TABLE 4 Summary of the significance of no 1 Canonbury Place TABLE 5 Assessment of proposed works APPENDICES: EBA/A Maps, Plans and Illustrations EBA/B Site photos EBA/C Designations EBA/D Schedule of Features and Fittings EBA/E Illustrations of Features and Fittings Cover page: View of no 1 Canonbury Place, EBA February 2018. Note: Copyright © exists on all material reproduced in this report, for planning purposes and not for sale. No further reproduction is permitted unless authorised by the credited source. Date Issued Version Status Notes Initial 29/01/2018 1a Draft For team comments EA/NB 01/02/2018 1b Draft Team comments EA/NB 09/02/2018 1c Penultimate draft Final comments EA/NB 13/02/2018 1d Final For Planning & Listed Building Applications EA/NB J1172 1 CANONBURY PLACE, LONDON N1 2NG FEBRUARY 2018 HERITAGE ASSESSMENT Page 2 of 40 j1172 2018.02.13 EBA HA v1d_FINAL.docx © Ettwein Bridges Architects A I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - This Heritage Assessment has been prepared by Ettwein Bridges Architects (‘EBA’) on behalf of the owners of no. 1 Canonbury Place, LB Islington. This report assesses the heritage significance of the existing building and assesses proposals for its repair and refurbishment of its existing office use, together with continuation of its associated parking in the back garden. Site context and designations - The building is located on that part of Canonbury Place which is a cul-de-sac off Alwyne Villas. No. 1 is the end of a terrace comprising altogether 5 houses. No 1, together with nos 2-5 are listed all Grade II (nos 1-5, HE ref. 1205846) and is located within the Canonbury Conservation Area. The site is within an Archaeological Priority Area (APA 18) as defined by LB Islington (2013). An historical group of buildings, some of which were originally part of the Canonbury manor, are located north of the site. Several of these buildings are listed, including Grade II Canonbury House (HE ref. 1280446); Grade II* Canonbury Tower (HE ref. 1280424) and Grade II* Nos 6-9 Canonbury Place (HE ref. 1195507). Site history - 1 Canonbury Place was built in the late C18 (1780 is marked on the hopper heads and marks the completion date of the terrace) in place of the demolished Tudor south range of Canonbury manor house (by Sir John Spencer). Desk-based study, primary research and site inspections confirmed that the house as it exists today has been rebuilt and extended on several occasions and, while no documentary evidence of that survives in the form of plans or drawings, site investigations have revealed the multi-layered history which will be addressed in detail below. - In summary, the building comprises several phases of which the earliest surviving is that from the 1760s-1780s when the original end of terrace was built, extending to what is now the dividing masonry wall between the eastern and western halves of the house. The second phase comprises the addition of a significant western extension of the same width as the first phase sometime between the 1780s and 1800s. The third phase includes the addition of a mansard roof across the whole building sometime between the 1800s and 1819 as it is at the later date that the building was drawn with a mansard roof. It could have been between this time that the new cantilevered stone staircase was added to connect the two principal rooms of the house. Later changes in the late C19 and C20 have included internal alterations and changes to the mansard roofs when steel beams were inserted some time post the 1950s. - In the 20th century, the building has been occupied by several notable organisations and persons, including it being used as a Child Guidance Clinic before WWII and as an architectural office by Sir Basil Spence OM RA. The latter is commemorated with an English Heritage Blue Plaque as well. It is in the nucleus of the historic Canonbury area (its architectural and historic significance recognised by being a Conservation Area). Significance of 1 Canonbury Place - No. 1 Canonbury Place is in an historic area at the heart of Canonbury and is in the southern section of the mediaeval and Tudor manor complex. No. 1 forms the end of a terrace of 5 houses which were built after the Tudor range was demolished in the mid C18 and completed by 1780. The character and narrow layout of the cul-de-sac is redolent of the mediaeval J1172 1 CANONBURY PLACE, LONDON N1 2NG FEBRUARY 2018 HERITAGE ASSESSMENT Page 3 of 40 j1172 2018.02.13 EBA HA v1d_FINAL.docx © Ettwein Bridges Architects A origins of the priory of Canonbury. The house is significantly larger in footprint and massing compared to the other properties in the terrace, yet together they have strong group value. The building is architecturally significant due to the fine ionic pilasters and full entablature on the west elevation, which is also prominent in townscape views. - Although the roof of the building was raised some time in the early C19 (i.e. a mansard added), the building largely retains its original footprint. Also, the room layout internally has largely survived with a few changes carried out to convert the top floors for use as an office. The decorative features dating from the mid C19 in the principal rooms have largely survived. The garden extending south of the building originally formed the western section of the Tudor garden that no longer exists (although the garden pavilions marking the extent of Canonbury manor gardens survive altered in the rear gardens of properties on Alwyne Place and Alwyne Villas). The site retains high historic and architectural value and contributes towards the special interest and setting of the Canonbury Conservation Area. Existing condition and site investigations - The building has been empty for a number of years and has been affected by rainwater ingress from blocked rainwater hoppers on the south elevation. In order to investigate its impact, programme of careful opening up has been implemented (with the approval of Kristian Kaminski, Conservation Officer for the London Borough of Islington). This has revealed a great deal about the damage caused by the damp, the general condition of the house and the existence of an encapsulated original roof between the upstairs main room and the third floor (see Room by Room Photographic Survey, January 2018). - The condition of the house is further recorded in the Room by Room photographic survey (February 2018, EBA). The defects in the structure are identified in the Structural Report by Michael Hadi Associates, along with options for repair (February 2018, EBA). Summary assessment of proposals - The proposals have been sensitively designed to respect the character of the original building and are therefore in accordance with the relevant policy, legislation and guidance set out in Chapter 2. Overall, the refurbishment works will not harm the surviving original detailing of the interiors, with the original plan form clearly discernible and the significant architectural detailing of the building retained. The works are carefully designed and considered in their approach, having regard to the significance of the building. Overall, the architectural and historic significance of the building will be enhanced through the removal of modern, unsympathetic additions and through the repair of the construction fabric, original features and fittings. The building will be preserved in the long term by eradicating the sources of decay, carrying out the essential repairs, and renewing essential services to modern standards. J1172 1 CANONBURY PLACE, LONDON N1 2NG FEBRUARY 2018 HERITAGE ASSESSMENT Page 4 of 40 j1172 2018.02.13 EBA HA v1d_FINAL.docx © Ettwein Bridges Architects A 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. This Heritage Assessment has been prepared by Ettwein Bridges Architects (‘EBA’) on behalf of the owners of no 1 Canonbury Place, LB Islington. This report assesses the heritage significance of the existing building and proposals for its repair and refurbishment of its existing office use, together with continuation of its associated parking in