‘Welsh mansion appeal for armed forces retreat‘ [BBC News]
Raasay House: ‘Work to start on fire hit centre‘ [BBC News]
‘Overseas buyers snapping up country houses‘ [Country Life]
country house
Cherkley Court closes to the public
Despite the continued visitor success of the more famous country houses such as Castle Howard, the closure of Cherkley Court in Leatherhead, Surrey, to the public shows that the smaller houses can find it much harder to make a profit.
The house was built in the 1860s but rebuilt in a French chateau-style following a serious fire in 1893 and was home to the press baron Lord Beaverbrook. Now the charitable Beaverbrook Foundation which owns the house has decided that their funds can no longer subsidise the running of the house. Previously the grounds had been open to the public and a new cafe and gift shop had been built in 2008 but even this failed to lift visitor numbers sufficiently.
So what does the future hold? The foundation have confirmed that it will honour all events and weddings already booked but will not be taking any more. Although the house and estate was recently valued by Savills, it’s unlikely (though not impossible) that it might be put up for sale. However this might actually be good solution as the many millions the sale would surely raise would be a healthy boost for the Foundation’s other charitable work but would also ensure that the house was in use which is the main protection against creeping neglect. Fingers crossed that whatever the outcome, this interesting house is preserved for the future.
Full story: ‘Beaverbrook’s Leatherhead country home Cherkley Court closes to public‘ [Epsom Guardian]
Eshott Hall, Northumberland, finally sold
One event which can always creates a certain risk for country houses is the bankruptcy of the owner. Once the contents have been sold, apart from the lack of maintenence, an empty house can be a magnet for the thieves who think nothing of stripping fixtures and fittings and even the lead off the roof. So the news that Eshott Hall in Northumberland has now been sold following the bankruptcy of the owners is to be welcomed as hopefully the house will remain in use.
Full story: ‘Future of hall to become clear as sale nears‘ [The Journal]
Stanwick Hall to get a makeover on TV
When the beautiful Grade-II* listed, Queen Anne-era Stanwick Hall came up for sale in 2006, many would have been surprised at the relatively low asking price of £1.1m.
Though the house came with seven bedroom and 11-acres in the Northamptonshire countryside, it also came with an ‘At Risk’ rating from English Heritage due to the structural problems.
Despite this it did sell and now Endemol have expressed an interest to the architect in charge of the restoration, Anthony Rickett, who has agreed to let them follow the work. It’s always pleasing to hear of houses being restored and it’s even better when the work is brought to the attention of the wider public so they can also appreciate the hard work that is done to maintain these vital pieces of our heritage.
Full story: ‘Hall’s restoration to be shown on TV‘ [Evening Telegraph]
The lack of modern country houses: FT Special Report
The building of a country house used to be the ultimate expression of success. It was the sign that a man had achieved much that he wished to do and was now able to devote time and resources to this rural ‘badge of honour’. Importantly, the success, learning, and attitude of the owner was to be expressed through his choice of architecture. This determined individualism led to a vast range of styles – French chateau, gothic, ne0-classical – but one style which is lacking is the modern(ist) country house.
The FT report highlights how, after the decline in country house ownership during the early 20th century, those few country houses which have been built have been largely of a Classical design. Indeed, when Ushida Findlay Architects proposed a radical ‘starfish’ design to replace the old Grafton Hall in Cheshire, the plan languished for years, never attracting an owner wishing to invest in the concept. However, permission has now been granted for the construction of a large Classical house by Robert Adam. This is another sign of the hold that this elegant style of architecture still not is aesthectically pleasing but also appeals to the ‘masculine’ objectives of building a house which states the power and wealth of the owner.
This attitude has moved modern country houses into the realm of the bespoke, ultra-luxury market and away from the aspirations of the merely wealthy. In many ways, it’s good to see our exsiting stock of houses being cared for but there is also an important architectural history which needs to be expanded through the building of high-quality, modern country houses – able to meet the demanding standards of the contemporary rich but also to push forward the design of one of the most important elements of British architecture.
Full story: ‘Building Blocks‘ [FT.com]
The Country Seat 