heritage

Pell Well Hall finally sold – but will buyer finish the job?

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Pell Well Hall (Image from Strutt & Parker)

After abandonment, institutional use, and a serious fire, there is finally some good news for Pell Well Hall.  It’s reported that an offer has been accepted and finally the house can move to what will hopefully be the final stages of restoration.   Originally with an asking price of £750,000 the offer accepted was £550,000 – but with estimated costs of between £2m – £5m to complete the restoration.

With such a huge project and the need for significant financing, the hope is that the new purchaser will complete the work sooner rather than later.  However, after neglect and fire the original interior has been entirely lost meaning that in many senses this is a recreation rather than a strict restoration.  Perhaps leaving some evidence of this sad state would be an honest approach – and heaven forbid that the interior ends up as just some identikit footballers Surrey mansion.  This a special house and deserves a careful hand on the design and budget.

Full story: ‘New owner for historic hall as offer accepted‘ [Shropshire Star]

‘Beauty – but at what price?‘ [Daily Telegraph]

Are you restoring a country house?

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Country houses are always popular subjects for TV programme and can be a great way of highlighting the good work done by so many hard-pressed owners (or even those not so hard-pressed!).  They can also provide an unrivalled opportunity to attract interest in houses in need of some care and attention. The BBC is searching for owners restoring decaying country houses for a new series.  Ideally, the families would have historic links with the property and would demonstrate the challenge of preserving their house in the context of 21st century demands.

If you think you and property fit the bill, contact Katherine Phillips at Endemol either by phone on 0333 577 7740 or email homes@endemoluk.com

Good news for Brook House?

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Brook House, Essex

A new development in the long running saga of Brook House in Tiptree, Essex has opened the possibility for some good news.  As had been reported here before, the lovely red-brick house in the heart of Tiptree was subject to an application to demolish from the owner who claimed that it was beyond repair.

However, photos taken recently show that the house is actually in very good condition and pressure from heritage organisations such as SAVE Britain’s Heritage have led to a spotlight being shone on the plans. 

It’s now been reported that the application has been withdrawn.  It’s the slow, piecemeal loss of fine houses such as this over the last fifty years which has left our towns all the poorer visually. Hopefully there will now be discussions where the starting premise is that the house should be restored as an important part of Tiptree’s architectural heritage.

Call for country houses to get tax breaks

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 The Historic Houses Association have highlighted that there is an estimated backlog of repairs totalling £390m.  In recognition of local and sometimes national importance of these houses and their role in stimulating local economic activity, Edward Harley, president of the HHA has urged politicians to provide sympathetic tax breaks and also to allow those house with significiant public benefit to be allowed to apply for lottery funds.

Full story: ‘Country house owners ‘need tax breaks and lottery funds’‘ [Daily Telegraph]

The hunt for the lost contents of Strawberry Hill

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Strawberry Hill, Middlesex (Image: World Monuments Fund)

Although Horace Walpole’s large and impressive art collection initially remained at Strawberry Hill after his death in 1797, it was later sold off by his heir in a 24-day sale in 1842.  With the sale, one of the best collections of it’s time of art, furniture, cermanics, glassware and manuscripts was scattered.

Now the Strawberry Hill Trust who look after the house are trying to find some of the objects in the collection with a view to borrowing or even purchasing some of the items.  In particular, if you know the whereabouts of:

  • Roman funerary urn;
  • mirror with portrait of Viscount Malpas;
  • ornate Turkish dagger;
  • Gothic dining table;
  • basalt Bust of Vespasian

For more details about each of the items, see the story at The Art Newspaper:

Full story: ‘Strawberry Hill on the hunt for lost Walpole treasures‘ [The Art Newspaper]