HERITAGE STATEMENT In respect of: Proposed country house wedding venue, comprising conversion of main house to provide guest accommodation and replacement of outbuildings to provide ceremony and reception buildings, enhancement of crinkle-crankle walled garden, enhanced landscaping and visitor parking At: SYRENCOT HOUSE, FIGHELDEAN, SP4 8LB On behalf of: Beddlestead Farm Limited September 2017 ELAINE MILTON HERITAGE & PLANNING t: 07979 942042 e: [email protected] w: www.emhp.co.uk Heritage Statement – Syrencot House, Figheldean CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................3 2.0 HERITAGE DESIGNATIONS .....................................................................4 3.0 DESCRIPTION .................................................................................6 4.0 HISTORY ............................................................................................18 5.0 ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE ........................................................24 6.0 PROPOSALS ................................................................................26 7.0 POLICY CONTEXT ................................................................................28 8.0 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT ........................................................30 9.0 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................33 SOURCES USED IN THE REPORT ........................................................35 APPENDIX 1: NOTES OF PRE-APPLICATION MEETING ON 25.4.17 .........36 APPENDIX 2: PHASING PLAN FOR SYRENCOT HOUSE ....................37 APPENDIX 3: PLANS OF HOUSE IN 2000 ............................................38 APPENDIX 4: CURRENT PROPOSED PLANS FOR HOUSE ....................46 LIST OF FIGURES Fig.1: Plan showing existing buildings on site Fig.2: Front of Syrencot House Fig.3: Single-storey former billiard room addition at south-western end of house Fig.4: Brick lean-to attached to north of house Fig.5: Three-storey north-western range of house Fig.6: Historic ‘three-plank’ panelling on the southern wall of a bedroom on the first floor 1 Heritage Statement – Syrencot House, Figheldean Fig.7: Modern replica panelling on the north wall of the bedroom Fig.8: Main stair Fig.9: Sitting room (southern ground floor room within northern range) Fig.10: Four-panel doors within second floor of north-western range Fig.11: Serpentine cob wall of walled garden (north wall) Fig.12: Dilapidated west wall of walled garden Fig.13: Collapsed bothy within north-eastern corner of walled garden Fig.14: Former pumping house within walled garden Fig.15: Barn F as seen from the main drive Fig.16: Barn F to the north-east of the house Fig.17: Barn E to the north of the house Fig.18: Barn D to the south of the house Fig.19: Ordnance Survey map of 1880 Fig.20: Ordnance Survey map of 1901 Fig.21: Ordnance Survey map of 1924 Fig.22: Ordnance Survey map of 1940 Fig.23: Front elevation of house in 1999 with boarded up windows and doors Fig.24: South elevation of house in 1999 Fig.25: Victorian glasshouse within walled garden at the Lingholm Estate, Cumbria Fig.26: Bassmead Manor Barns, Cambridgeshire COPYRIGHT: The contents of this statement must not be copied or replicated in part or in whole without the express written consent of Elaine Milton Heritage & Planning 2 Heritage Statement – Syrencot House, Figheldean 1.0 Introduction 1.1 This heritage statement accompanies applications for planning permission and listed building consent for the change of use of Syrencot House to a wedding venue, associated new buildings, car parking and restoration of the walled garden. 1.2 Figheldean is a village and parish on the east bank of the River Avon, approximately 3 ½ miles north of Amesbury. Syrencot House is a country house in approximately 5 acres of riverside grounds near the southern boundary of the parish. The 8-10 bedroom house has been on the market for approximately two years. 1.3 The report describes the heritage significance of Syrencot House and provides an assessment of the impact of the proposals in accordance with the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework (the NPPF, March 2012) and in order to meet the council’s local validation checklist for applications affecting designated heritage assets. 1.4 The report was commissioned by Beddlestead Farm Limited and has been prepared by Elaine Milton BSc (Hons) MSc DipArchCons MRTPI IHBC. Site surveys were carried out on 24 April and 25 September 2017. 1.5 Information on the history of the site has been drawn from a number of sources, a list of which is presented on p35. 1.6 A pre-application enquiry was made to Wiltshire Council in January 2017 (local planning authority reference 17/01428/PREAPP). In summary, the change of use to wedding venue was supported in policy terms. Although the conservation officer stated a preference for retaining the building as a single dwelling, he advised that the proposed change of use of Syrencot House to a wedding venue may be acceptable subject to satisfactory supporting marketing information and justification for any harm as a result of the proposals to the historic fabric or character of the building and also the setting through the development of any buildings within the curtilage. The conservation officer felt the removal of the existing modern buildings within the curtilage would result in an enhancement to the setting of the listed building, and that consideration would need to be given to the scale of any new buildings and their prominence within the setting. The pre-application notes of the meeting, prepared by the report author and agreed by the conservation officer, are presented in Appendix 1. 3 Heritage Statement – Syrencot House, Figheldean 2.0 Heritage Designations 2.1 Syrencot House was added to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest at Grade II on 10 October 1988. It is therefore deemed by English Heritage to be nationally important and of special interest. The list entry for the house reads as follows: ‘House, now offices. 1738. Red and blue brickwork with limestone plat band and raised quoins. Slate roof. Main block of 3 storeys, 5 x 1 bays, extended to right early C19, two storeys, 3 bays, and wing to rear. Entrance into wing at junction with main block, under curved Tuscan portico. Main block has 12- paned sashes with segmental heads in red brick flush quoined openings, the arches with raised keystones and moulded stone sills. Round arched opening to central first floor window and raised surround. Six- paned sashes to top floor, and dentilled stone eaves. Cogged eaves to end and rear. Right wing has margin glazed windows and hipped roof. Interior: Mostly altered, but south end has fielded dado panelling and cornice. Wing has early C19 stair. The house as a military residence of Lt Gen Browning, General Sir Richard Gale, and Lord Allenbrooke, saw the founding of the airborne divisions, and the planning and mounting of Operation Overlord.’ 2.2 The plan in Fig.1 below indicates the house (marked H), walled garden to the north of this and a number of barns and structures within the curtilage. The walled garden, the three barns (barns D, E and F), the pumping house and greenhouse L (aka the remains of the bothy) are all believed to date from before 1 July 1948, and are therefore deemed to be protected under the legislation as curtilage listed buildings. 4 Heritage Statement – Syrencot House, Figheldean Fig.1 Plan showing existing buildings on site 5 Heritage Statement – Syrencot House, Figheldean 3.0 Description Site and Surroundings 3.1 Syrencot House comprises a two and three-storey country house located in a secluded position on the east banks of the River Avon. The building faces east and is set within approximately 5 acres of grounds. The house, which is unseen from the road, is approached via a long gravel drive that terminates in a gravel turning and parking area in front of the house. There are a number of buildings and structures within close proximity to the house, including a walled garden and three modern barns, which are illustrated on the plan in Fig.1 and described below. Exterior of House 3.2 The house is constructed in red brick with ashlar stone stringcourses, keystones and quoins, and the roof is covered with natural slate. It essentially comprises three ranges: a three-storey block at the southern end; a two-storey block on the northern end; and a three-storey block on the north-western end. Fig.2 Front of Syrencot House 6 Heritage Statement – Syrencot House, Figheldean 3.3 The southern three-storey range is of five bays and has 12-paned sashes with segmental heads and a hipped roof set behind a parapet. There is a single-storey red brick former billiard room addition to the rear. Fig.3 Single-storey former billiard room addition at south-western end of house 3.4 The two-storey northern range is a long block comprising six bays. This range contains the main entrance, which is set within a modern open porch in the second bay from the left. Windows are squat 12-pane sashes with flat soldier arch lintels. Attached to the north elevation is a stretcher bond brick lean-to with a slate roof. 7 Heritage Statement – Syrencot House, Figheldean Fig.4 Brick lean-to attached to north of house 3.5 The north-western three-storey range is constructed in dark red brick and contains a mix of windows, mainly 12-panes sashes under rubbed brick lintels. Fig.5 Three-storey north-western range of house 8 Heritage Statement – Syrencot House, Figheldean Interior of House 3.6 As highlighted in the list entry, the interior of Syrencot House is mostly altered. The southern three-storey range contains a number of modern features including some partitions at first and second floor, but there are also some original panelled doors and cornicing. Of particular note is some 18th century raised and fielded panelling within the southernmost bedroom on the first floor: the panelling on the south, west and east walls is mainly historic (panels comprised of three pine boards), whereas the north wall is made up of modern panel restored to match.