Midlands Region | Attingham Consultancy Hub DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT FOR Structural Repairs AT Vales Rock, Kingsford Park, Kidderminster February 2021 CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Heritage Statement (By Edmund Simons) 3.0 Assessment of impact of works 4.0 Ecological Impact Appendix A Photos Appendix B Structural Engineers Report Appendix C Specification for Works 1.0 INTRODUCTION Vales rock is situated within Kingsford Country Park, Near Kidderminster. The co-ordinates for the Rock House are 382721 ; 282122. Access to the Rock House is from the National Trust’s car park, post code DY11 5SL on Kingsford Lane. The Rock House is then a short walk via a gravel track. The Rock House area is fenced off for public safety, with a locked gate for access for NT staff only. Site visits therefore require prior arrangement. The Rock House can be viewed at a distance from the paths surrounding it. The condition of the Rock House has deteriorated, and structural repairs are necessary to stabilise it and to protect any further rock fall. Photos of the condition of the Rock House are included in Appendix A. The objective of the work is to stabilise the current formation, not provide any alterations at this stage. KeyGS Engineering have surveyed the Rock House and prepared recommendations for the repair and stabilisation, these include construction of masonry (red engineering brick) columns in archways that require support, insertion of a concrete lintol into existing brickwork to provide support, insertion of stainless steel rock bolts with approx. 130x130cm faceplates, de-scaling of the rock cliff face, and repairs to the well grate. Further details are provided in the KeyGS report in Appendix B and schedule of works in Appendix C. 2.0 HERITAGE STATEMENT The following Heritage Statement has been prepared by Mr Edmund Simons. VALE’S ROCK WOLVERLEY, WORCESTERSHIRE STABLISATION OF ROCK HOUSES HERITAGE STATEMENT FEBRUARY 2012 ER Simons Mst, AIFA, IHBC, FSA TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................ 3 2. DESCRIPTION ................................................... 3 2.1 Heritage Assets .................................................. 3 2.2 Lower Terrace .................................................... 3 2.3 Upper Terrace .................................................... 5 3. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ........................... 6 4. SIGNIFICANCE .................................................. 8 5. PROPSALS ........................................................ 9 6. ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS ............................ 9 7. CONCLUSIONS ............................................... 10 APPENDIX A, BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................... 11 APPENDIX B, LISTING DESCRIPTION ........................ 12 ©E Simons 2021 The report and the site assessments carried out on behalf of the client in accordance with the agreed terms of contract and/or written agreement form the agreed Services. The Services were performed with the skill and care ordinarily exercised by a reasonable Heritage Consultant at the time the Services were performed. Further, and in particular, the Services were performed by taking into account the limits of the scope of works required by the client, the time scale involved and the resources, including financial and manpower resources, agreed between with the client. Other than that expressly contained in the paragraph above, E Simons provides no other representation or warranty whether express or implied, in relation to the services. This report is produced exclusively for the purposes of the client. E Simons not aware of any interest of or reliance by any party other than the client in or on the services. Unless expressly provided in writing, E Simons does not authorise, consent or condone any party other than the client relying upon the services provided. Any reliance on the services or any part of the services by any party other than the client is made wholly at that party’s own and sole risk and E Simons disclaims any liability to such parties. This report is based on site conditions, regulatory or other legal provisions, technology or economic conditions at the time of the Service provision. These conditions can change with time and reliance on the findings of the Services under changing conditions should be reviewed. E Simons accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of third-party data used in this report. Summary Vales Rock is a Grade II listed rock-cut dwelling on Blakeshall Common (Wolverley). It consists of four cave dwellings which date from the Middle Ages to the 1770s and were altered and inhabited until the 1950s. The dwellings have suffered from extensive and concerted vandalism as well as a number of rock falls. The National Trust proposes to consolidate the site with limited intervention, including rebuilding supporting walls and the addition of rock bolts to prevent future falls. This report examines the extent and significance of the site and finds that the proposals are modest in scope, but will secure the future of the site are appropriate and much needed. 1. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this statement is to examine the heritage impacts of a proposal to stabilise the Grade II rock houses at Vales Rock, Wolverley, Worcestershire (HER: WSM05444). The report describes heritage assets which may be affected by the development and assesses the impact the proposals would have upon the significance of these assets. The report has been completed by Edmund Simons MSt (Oxford) AIFA, IHBC, FRGS, FSA on behalf of the National Trust. 2. DESCRIPTION 2.1 Heritage Assets Several undesignated heritage assets have been identified in the near vicinity, including field systems, boundary banks and a semi rock-cut house site, it was determined however, that these will not be impacted by the stabilisation works and they are not assessed in this report. The only asset impacted by the works will be to the Grade II listed cave houses and the surrounding rock face. The room numbers used in this report are the same as in the Key GS Engineering Report (2019). 2.2 Lower Terrace Collapsed houses At the north end of the terrace the buried remnants of at least three caves may be glimpsed, these were destroyed during a collapse in the 1930s, the debris of which still buries part of the site. Room1 A natural rock shelter fronted by a 19th century brick wall. The features cut into the earlier wall include two niches and a number of joist holes Room2 Part of the rock shelter and with a 19th century brick outer wall. The room has a number of deep irregular niches, one of these niches is unfinished and the widely spaced chisel marks are still visible. The niches and the wall retain fragile paint surfaces on a very thin coat of whitewash. This includes a very fragmentary and fragile painted scheme with designs in black and ochre on a white background, this is topped with a later pink ochre wash and later layers of whitewash. 3 Vales Rock, Wolverley Heritage Statement Room3 A collapse in the 1960s severely damaged this room and the boulders from the former roof lie where they fell. There are niches and the remnants of internal walls which were destroyed by the fall and later vandalism. Again there are small areas of very fragile panted surfaces. Room4 This deeper open-fronted room includes a pronounced step or shelf. It was accessed from Room 3 via a door which was blocked with 19th century brick, A short tunnel connects Room 4 with Room 5. Detached Brick Kitchen A former kitchen lies to the west of Room 4 (which formed its eastern end). This building has suffered greatly from vandalism in the last 20 years, but contains historic features, including a brick flue and the remnants of a door. The building is made of later 19th century brick, but sits on a foundation of sandstone blocks, which appear to be the remnants of an earlier building. Room5 This large room (and the neighbouring room 6) are part of a house which has recently been heavily vandalised. The house has distinctive semi-circular drip gullies carved over its door and windows, a feature seen elsewhere locally. The room is accessed from the terrace by a door and from Room 4 by a short tunnel. This tunnel has been reopened by vandals and was formally blocked with a sandstone wall and historically used as a large pantry,. There is a window to the terrace which recently has been partly sawn away. The room has a large “inglenook” type fireplace at the north end, the back of which has been smashed by vandals. There is an inserted brick oven on the eastern cheek of the fireplace (made of what appears to be 18th century brick). The chimney is semi rectangular with a large excavated hood area below. The east wall has a number of socket holes and a large niche for a cupboard or similar. Room 6 An irregular room with a thin dividing wall to Room 5 (much damaged), it is lit by a single window to the terrace. There is no evidence of how the room is heated. Room 7 Rooms 7 and 8 form a single habitable unit and are not linked to the rest of the complex, in the later history of the site they were used as storage and the author remembers them being full of beasom making materials from the last owner. The rooms are more fragmentary and more crude than the neighbouring house. Room 7 is s small irregular room accessed by a door to the terrace and with a round “window” created by damage in the 1980s to an earlier exterior niche. Room 8 Room 8 is a small room, again irregular and with sockets and slots for vanished features. There is a door to the terrace, but part of the exterior wall has been removed. A fragmentary fireplace lies near the door and has a small circular flue to the terrace above. The fireplace has been cut away and altered and may have contained a stove with flue above.