46 Halifax Road Todmorden. OL14 5QG T: 01706 813214 F: 01706 819002 J. David Storah Arch. Tech. Cert. E: [email protected] Richard A. Storah Dip. Arch. MA Cons (York) RIBA AABC IHBC W: www.storah.com Heritage Impact Assessment Proposed Alterations to 6-9 Canonbury Place, Islington, London Our Ref:13-040 October 2013 RIBA Chartered Practice Architect Accredited in Royal Institute of British Architects Building Conservation Heritage Impact Assessment: 6-9 Canonbury Place, Islington, London 1.0 ! Introduction Storah Architecture have been commissioned by Cognita Schools to prepare a heritage impact assessment for the adaption of 6-9 Canonbury Place, considering change from a conference centre to become a sixth form college. Listed Building Consent is being sought for the alterations. The building is listed, grade II* and is within the Canonbury conservation area. This statement has been prepared by Richard Storah, to address the requirements of Section 12 of the NPPF, in particular para 128, which states ‘In determining applications, local planning authorities should require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage assets affected.’ The statement will consider the significance of the 6-9 Canonbury Place as a heritage asset and evaluate the perceived impact of the proposed alterations. 2.0 ! Historical Background 6-9 Canonbury Place is based around the reclad and much altered east wing of the earlier Canonbury House, the origins of which were founded by the Canons of Smithfield during the reign of Henry III. The built evidence suggests that the core of the existing building fabric dates from the house of Sir John Spencer (who lived here from 1570-1610), though prior to this the house in known to have passed through the ownership of several prominent post-dissolution figures, including Thomas Cromwell and John Dudley. It was included in the jointure of Anne of Cleves, prior to being gifted by Queen Mary to Sir John Spencer. Following his death, the house and estate passed through his daughter’s marriage to the Second Lord Compton, Earl of Northampton. It has remained in the Northampton Estate since this time. Around 1770, major works were carried out at the House and Tower by John Dawes, he demolished the south front and west wing of the original house, replacing these with the present Canonbury House and 1-5 Canonbury Place. 6-9 Canonbury Place were reclad at this time. The bay windows and the addition to the street elevation of 6 Canonbury Place are later additions. A brief chronology of ownership and occupancy is outlined below. 2.1 ! Canons Of Smithfield 1509 - 1532 Prior William Bolton of St Bartholomew in Smithfield built Canonbury House and the Tower. Prior Bolton was elected in 1505 and died in 1532. At the Dissolution, St Bartholomew's revenues were reckoned at £773 0s. 1¾d. gross, and £693 0s. 10¼d. net, rents in London and the suburbs alone amounting to £451 3s. 7d. Its property and lands at that time included Canonbury House and at least 25 other sites. 2.2 ! Dissolution 1530 - 1569 Storah Architecture ! p. 2 of 17! October 2013 Job Ref: 13-040! Heritage Impact Assessment: 6-9 Canonbury Place, Islington, London After the dissolution, Canonbury was occupied by various court favorites. These included Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex; John Dudley, Earl of Warwick and later Duke of Northumberland and Thomas, Lord Wentworth. Thomas Cromwell lived in Canonbury Tower from 1533 - 1540, until he was arraigned under a bill of attainder and executed for treason and heresy on Tower Hill on 28 July 1540 (the day Henry VIII married Catherine Howard). The King had blamed Cromwell for his disastrous marriage to Anne of Cleves, and possibly due to this, the house was included within the jointure of Anne of Cleves, providing £20 per year rent. In 1547 the house was granted by Edwards VI to John Dudley. Dudley led the government of the young King Edward the VI from 1550 till 1553 and unsuccessfully tried to install protestant Lady Jane Grey on the English throne after Kings Edward’s death. He was executed for his actions in support of Lady Jane Grey and executed on 22 August 1553, Canonbury then reverting to the crown. 2.3 ! Sir John Spencer 1570 In 1570 Canonbury was given by Queen Mary to Sir John Spencer. Sir John served as Lord Mayor of London from 1594-1595. It was he who added the oak panelling to the Spencer and Compton Oak Rooms during his residence at Canonbury. The house was extensively refurbished during this period and the tower constructed. The ornate plater ceilings originate from this period (around 1599) so can be attributed to Sir John. Sir John was a very successful merchant, so successful he became knows as “Rich Spencer”. His riches were so well known that a group of Dunkirk pirates hatched an unsuccessful plot to capture Sir John on his way from London to his country house at Canonbury and hold him ransom for over £50,000. Sir John had only one child, Elizabeth, who in 1598 was sought in marriage by William, the Second Lord Compton (afterwards the First Earl of Northampton). Spencer strongly disapproved of the match, but Compton's influence at court enabled him to procure Spencer's imprisonment in the Fleet in March 1599 for ill-treating his daughter. The young lady was reportedly carried off by her lover from Canonbury House in a baker's basket where they then eloped, the family were later reconciled following intervention by Queen Elizabeth. Sir John was president of St. Bartholomew's Hospital from 1603 to his death in 1610. 2.4 ! Elizabeth Spencer m. Second Lord Compton, Earl of Northampton 1599 Elizabeth Spencer married William Compton in 1599 or 1600. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire and of Gloucestershire and as Lord President of the Marches and of the Dominion of Wales. In 1618 he was created Earl of Northampton. The house remains in the ownership of the Earl of Northampton to this day. Storah Architecture ! p. 3 of 17! October 2013 Job Ref: 13-040! Heritage Impact Assessment: 6-9 Canonbury Place, Islington, London 2.5 ! Sir Francis Bacon 1616 - 1625 The house was leased to Sir Francis Bacon from 1616 to 1625. He was Attorney General during the time he resided at Canonbury, though he also served as Lord Chancellor. He is credited with the popularization of empiricism. His work established a scientific methodology and theoretical framework, the concepts of which are still relevant today. He died without heirs in 1626 after contracting pneumonia while studying the effects of freezing to preserve meat. 2.6 ! The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century During the Commonwealth the 3rd Earl of Northampton lived mainly at the house. The house was later the home of William, Viscount Fielding, Earl of Denbigh who died at Canonbury in 1685. After this point the Tower and adjoining buildings were let as apartments. Numerous historical figures were tenants at Canonbury during this period, including Oliver Goldsmith who rented the Compton Oak Room in the tower (then linked with 6-9 Canonbury Place) from 1762 - 1764. 2.7 ! Redevelopment and the Division of Canonbury House 1776 - 1780 Between 1776 and 1780, major works were carried out at the House and Tower by John Dawes. The southern range of buildings were demolished and replaced with the Georgian villas which make up 1-5 Canonbury Place. 6-9 Canonbury Place were altered and reclad at this time. Since this time the Tower and Canonbury House have been separated from the block including 6-9 Canonbury Place. 2.8 ! Use of 6-7 and 8-9 Canonbury Place after the 1780 redevelopment From 1838, no. 6 Canonbury Place was used as a Ladies School and was c. 1855 called Northampton House, kept by Miss Caroline Bifield. The south elevation of no. 6 c. 1855 The bay to the left has since been replaced. Storah Architecture ! p. 4 of 17! October 2013 Job Ref: 13-040! Heritage Impact Assessment: 6-9 Canonbury Place, Islington, London In 1878, no’s 6 and 7 were combined and converted to become the Highbury and Islington High School for Girls. The school closed in 1911. From 1930-1965 it became the headquarters of the North London (Islington) District Nursing Association. It then became Harcourt House (Medical Missionary Association). This use remained until at least 1988. Following this in a planning report date 1992, 6-7 were described as a residential meditation centre. Canonbury Place c.1910, with the school signage to the elevation of no. 6. In 1908 the 5th Marquess of Northampton, William George Spencer Scott Compton, restored the remaining portions of the house. Canonbury Place 1955, with the school signage painted out. 8-9 Canonbury Place was used as a day nursery which pre-dated listing in 1954. This use ceased in 1990. In 1993, 8-9 was combined with 6-7, for use as a conference centre, named the Canonbury Academy. Storah Architecture ! p. 5 of 17! October 2013 Job Ref: 13-040! Heritage Impact Assessment: 6-9 Canonbury Place, Islington, London 3.0! The building in its current state. Within the core of the building early fabric, dating from the Tudor period is evident, in timber framing to the upper floors, which retains indications of blocked window openings and in the roof structure. Retained within the extension to no. 6 are the preserved remains of an external wall face, including wattle and daub inserts to timber framing with geometrical decoration, this also appears to date from this period. The building also contains several late sixteenth century ceilings, two of which are dated 1599.