Grandest designs
Living on the site of a stately home has an irresistible appeal, says
THERE’S nothing new about pretending you are lord of the manor — even though you might own just a tiny fraction of a stately pile.
Developers cottoned on to this idea decades ago, offering a chance to live in an historic site, but without having to take financial responsibility for the entire estate.
Certainly that’s what appeals to Peter Webber, a buyer at Clevedon Hall Estate in Somerset. He bought a two-bedroom house in the grounds of the listed mansion, which was once owned by the sugar refinery magnet, Conrad William Finzel, and he has no regrets.
‘We were attracted to the historic setting at Clevedon Hall for the same reasons as the founders,’ says Peter.
‘We loved the beautiful environment by the sea and the added benefit for us is being adjacent to the Grade II listed mansion, with its surrounding mature landscape and gardens. We were looking to downsize to something more manageable, and this was an opportunity to live in a low-maintenance, high- quality new build in Clevedon’s prestigious setting.’
Originally named Frankfort Hall, Clevedon Hall Estate is a collection of two and three-bedroom houses being created by developer Spitfire ( spitfire
pg. co. uk). The main building was designed and built in 1852 in a loosely Jacobean revival style — though in front of it is an ornate stone fountain of a female figure in Greek Revival style, with a relief including angels, lions and dolphins.
The Hall has changed hands multiple times, remaining a residential estate until the Thirties.
It has since been used as offices by Bristol Aeroplane Company, who also used an annexe to educate boys from the Bristol Technical School, and St Brandon’s girls boarding school.
Today, it’s a luxury wedding, corporate and private events venue, following a £3 million refurbishment in 2010.
The houses on the estate have been designed to compliment the historic setting while being right up to date.
The openplan living and kitchen areas make for perfect large family spaces, with prices from £349,500.
In the same way TV costume dramas, such as the new Sunday ITV series Victoria, pull in the punters, house buyers can be drawn to a new development because of its history.
Marconi Evolution sits on the former radio factory site in Chelmsford, Essex.
Credited with inventing the modern radio, Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi founded the Marconi Company here in 1912. The former radio factory has been transformed into striking one and two-bedroom flats and three and four-bedroom homes by Bellway ( bellway. co.uk). Marconi Evolution’s latest phase of Pietro House is a collection of one and twobedroom apartments designed with all the bells and whistles plus stylish openplan spaces. Prices start at £234,995 for a one-bedroom apartment. Continuing the historic radio theme, Ekco Park in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, is a collection of one, two, three and four- bedroom properties developed by Bellway on a site that was formerly the Ekco radio and TV manufacturing factory.
Opened in 1924, the old factory later expanded into plastic production, making radio cases and later domestic products.
Prices start from £254,995 for a two-bedroom house.
For the developer of a historic site, there can sometimes be numerous obstacles to overcome.
Gwyn Roberts, of the Building Research Establishment, creaters of the Home Quality Mark (HQM), says: ‘ One of the biggest challenges is to take the community along the journey, ensuring they don’t feel like a piece of history is being taken from them.
‘Reinvigorating historic sites and buildings can often be a positive experience for the whole area as it can improve what can have been a neglected landscape.’ And English Heritage will advise on the best ways to minimise the impact to the historic environment.
Rory Bergin, a partner in sustainable futures at architects HTA Design, says that historic settings raise certain issues.
For a start, you have to maintain the setting of the existing heritage asset, whether it’s a landscape, building or monument, so that it can still be seen and enjoyed by visitors and residents. And to bear in mind the local community.
HTA architects were behind the redevelopment of Hanham Hall.
The site, now completed, sits on the edge of the green belt five miles from Bristol city centre and has a listed building in situ.
Set across the nine-hectare site, 186 homes have been built, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to five- bedroom detached houses. A two- bedroom resale apartment is on the market with Purple Bricks at £205,000 ( zoopla.co.uk).