Building Preservation Trust - Assignment Example

Select a Historic Building in the UK That You Consider To Be “At-Risk” And Suitable For Rescue by a Building Preservation Trust Table of Contents 0. Introduction to Conservation Statement 3 2.0. Understanding the Building and Setting 4 2.1. Historical Overview 4 2.2. Architectural Overview 5 2.3. Setting 6 2.4. Archaeological Overview 7 2.4. Overview of Social and Community Value 9 3.0. Significance of the Building 9 4.0. Condition of Building 11 5.0. Conservation Issues and Capacity for Change 12 6.0. Outline Policies 14 7.0. Next Steps after Writing a Conservation Statement 17 7.1. Actions to be taken 17 7.2. Reports to be undertaken 17 7.3. Timetable 18 18 8.0. Adoption and Review 18 19 19 9.0. References 20 10.0. Bibliography 22 11.0. Appendix 23 1.0. Introduction to Conservation Statement Elvaston Castle is a historic monument located in Derbyshire, England. It is situated 4 miles to the south-west of Derby. The castle covers an area of 200 acres, which also comprise of its parkland and formal gardens. It is one of the most popular 16th century castles in England. Among the major characteristics of the building, the castle has many gardens, which was designed and nurtured during the 20th century. Adding to that, there are acres of land covering woodlands, parklands, a lake and some picnic areas. The castle is listed as Grade II among the buildings in the UK owing to its importance as a centrepiece of the estate. The entire estate is currently noted to be under the supervision of the Derbyshire County Council, since World War II, following which, the building was completely damaged. However, owing to certain funding issues for its repair, the estate has been up for sale to private companies since the year 2000 (Derbyshire County Council, 2013). The Elvaston castle was re-built in the 18th century by the Sir Thomas Hanselin, with the intention to make it as residence. However, in due course of time, there were many more developments witnessed, carried out by some of the famous architects of the then Europe, including James Wyatt and Robert Walker. Owing to its rich heritage and historical presence, this monument should be saved or preserved for the future. Thus, with due consideration to its weakened infrastructure, requisite planning needs to be undertaken to conserve the heritage of the estate through proper development, repair and maintenance. Correspondingly, partnership can be maintained with the local authority and the country council, which was previously responsible for the maintenance of the building (Elvaston Castle, n.d.). The main intention of writing the conservation statement is to develop clear findings regarding the present issues associated with Elvaston castle, so that these aspects can prove beneficial in enhancing the efficiency of the conservation management plan. 2.0. Understanding the Building and Setting 2.1. Historical Overview The ownership of the building has seen changed in several occasions, right from the 16th century. Sir Thomas Hanselin was the founder and the real owner of the estate. However, as per records, the ownership of the mansion was first passed to the Earl of Harrington, following which the building was redesigned to be used as a residence. Over the period of time, it has been utilized for various purposes, which primarily included it being used as a teaching centre during the post World War II period; as a residence and as tourist attraction in the modern era. Accordingly, there have been significant changes in the design, content, ownership and use of the mansion in the passage of time. The building had been redesigned in several occasions with final adjustments being done by the famous architect Lewis Nockalls Cottingham. The content of the estate was later enriched with the addition of the gardens and the country park in course of time. As mentioned in the above section, the ownership of the estate passed from 4th Earl to the Needlers Development Company and currently, to the Derbyshire County Council. It was used by the Earl’s family for many years. In the modern times, the Derbyshire County Council uses it as a stage for exhibition, conducted by targeting the tourists. In the recent times, the infrastructure of the building has become quite weak possessing the threat of sudden demolition. In this regard, Derbyshire County Council has determined the needs of billions of amounts, to restructure, reframe and repair some of the parts of the estate (Elvaston Castle, n.d.). Furthermore, the surrounding area of the castle also has certain rich historical context. It has certain vital significance with regard to architectural, cultural, social and environmental essence. Such heritages can be effectively conveyed to the common people visiting the place; firstly, with the assistance of the renovation of the place through repair and revival techniques; and then, promoting the estate as a historic attraction among the public, so that they visit the place on a frequent basis. (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). Fig: Changing Face of Elvaston Castle From Time to Time 2.2. Architectural Overview The architectural works of James Wyatt entails the interior of the castle. He was one of the most well known architects of that period. The entire castle was built in a Gothic revival style, which can only be seen in some of the major and most popular monuments or castles of the world. Since the castle was set in the 18th century, it possesses a touch of masterpiece by some of the best European architectures of that time, which includes James Wyatt as well. In the course of time, some additions were made in the castle, which included architectural change in the interior and inclusion of gardens and parks in the exterior (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). Significant changes have been made in the monument after its ownership changed in due course of time. It has been observed that after the ownership of the estate passed to 3th Earl, significant changes in its architecture and its infrastructure were made, in order to make it suitable for residential purposes. Furthermore, the use of the building has also been changing from time to time owing to its altering architectural significance. The building was used as residence in its initial days. It was later used as a teaching centre during World War II. In modern day scenario, the castle is utilised to earn revenue by arranging events and exhibitions as an attraction for tourists (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). 2.3. Setting The surrounding area of the castle is covered with natural beauty. Adding to that, the surrounding area of the castle consists of Country Park, a natural lake, Home Farm, The Kennels, The Thatched Cottage and Stable Yard buildings among others. These factors add to the beauty of the castle and the entire estate altogether. These contents of the surrounding of the castle had changed over the period of time, owing to changes in its ownership as well as change in time from 19th century to the modern days (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013. In this regard, the conservation statement will also consider the prospect of certain additions in the settings of the building. This will include designing the interior of the castle in accordance to the modern day demand, planting more trees in the surrounding of the castle to enhance its natural beauty, arranging proper parking lot for the vehicles of the visitors and offering other basic facilities among others. All these policies will be properly managed in order to ensure maximum accuracy in the implementation of the proposed technique and the results obtained. Moreover, the policies will be reviewed on a regular basis and any flaws in the same will be rectified accordingly (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). Fig: Map of Elvaston Castle (Derbyshire County Council, 2013) 2.4. Archaeological Overview In the 16th century, the estate was owned and controlled by Shelford Priory. The building was later captured by Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington and redesigned in the 19th century. In the modern day scenario, the estate is often used as a stage for conducting exhibitions for visitors. Irrespective of its historic significance, it has been noted that the condition of the building is quite vulnerable, owing to the lack of proper maintenance, which further resulted in the estate being listed among Buildings at Risk registered in the UK. It can be seen that the building is managed by Derbyshire County Council, but due to lack of financial ability of the organisation, proper maintenance of the castle could not be ensured (Derbyshire County Council, 2013). The Hilary Taylor Landscape Associates Ltd will also be considered as specialists to be partnered for the completion of the conservation statement. They will be involved in every stage of the plan and this will help the entire plan, considering the fact that they have been in alliance with prior archaeological investigations taken to maintain Elvaston Castle in the past (Elvaston Castle, n.d.). The archaeological findings obtained thereupon has been illustrated in the below diagram. Fig: Data Sheet of Previous Archaeological Investigation in Elvaston Castle (Derbyshire, 2011) 2.4. Overview of Social and Community Value The building has certain significant aspects associated with it, both socially as well as culturally, owing to the various events it has witnessed since the past. People of different cultures have utilised the castle right from its inception days. Some used it as residence, while in the later period its owners used the building as a teaching centre. It has also been used by its different owners for organising various events for common people and as a place for socialising. These aspects also depict the social and cultural importance of the building. The building has portrayed a distinctive identity for itself in the community. Owing to the popularity of the castle, people recognise the place or the community by its name. This is quite a vital contribution of the building to the community. Moreover, in similar regard, the building is included among the Grade II buildings in the UK, which further advocates its importance in respect of national history (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). 3.0. Significance of the Building The Elvaston Castle is historically important in many ways. Its significance can be judged with its architectural, economic, environmental, social and cultural significance. Among architectural values of the monument, it has been noted that the design of the building and the estate was made in accordance to gothic revival, which is quite a unique aspect in the modern era. Economically, the castle is used to attract visitors and is being utilized to earn revenue, which is later implemented in the maintenance of the castle. The castle is one of the most prestigious of its kind in the world and is graded as two stars among the lists of monuments in the UK. It can be considered as an asset for the country owing to the fact that it has great significance, both economically and socially. Due to its incomparable beauty and architectural intelligence, such as the park and its golf course, it is potentially a revenue earning source for the government of the country (Local World, 2013). Environmentally, the entire estate is filled with green spaces, which include parks, picnic zones and a natural lake among others. It intends to maintain a pleasant environment in the surrounding area of the castle. (BBC, 2002). It has been discussed in the earlier part that the surrounding area of the castle (i.e. estate) rewards the essence of a mesmerising scenic beauty. This will ensure a healthy and a beautiful environment. Furthermore, with regard to ensuring proper environment, biodiversity, both in and around the castle will be encouraged. The garden, park and all the natural beauty is protected and maintained regularly, within the castle (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 013). In addition to that, socially, the castle is quite crucial, as it is a vital asset for the country, owing to its popularity all around the world. Fig: Natural Beauty of Elvaston Castle 4.0. Condition of Building The structure of the building can be identified to be in quite an adverse scenario where the roofs of the interior of the castle needs urgent repair. There are certain other sections of the building, which might not be in a deteriorating condition, but needs to be restructured in the near future. Moreover, lack of proper maintenance of the castle, in the recent years, resulted in the gradual weakening of the infrastructure of the estate. To be mentioned, this information was gathered from the report of Derbyshire County Council (BBC, 2002). The infrastructure of the estate is at high risk, which can deteriorate at any point of time, with lack of proper maintenance. This aspect becomes a threat to the importance of the estate along with its longevity, irrespective of its rich history. In the current scenario, its architectural beauty is under the threat of sudden decline, principally due to its weak infrastructural health and failure of proper maintenance (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). The survey of the building further determined that certain part of the castle and the estate are quite vulnerable and at the risk of complete demise in course of time. The roofs of the castle are in poor condition being in its mouldering stage. The home-farm of the castle is neglected and thus, is in a semi-collapsed stage. Apart from this, there are other sections of the castle, which might not be in the stage of sudden collapse, but need urgent repairs. Accordingly, the renovation or the repair work will focus on structuring the castle in a way that could enable it to be used for some other purposes like exhibition and conference hall among others (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). 5.0. Conservation Issues and Capacity for Change The conservation or redevelopment plan of the castle will solely intend to conserve the historical importance and beauty of the building. This approach to redevelop the castle is owing to certain issues that are associated with the castle in the past. The foremost issue in this regard has been the inadequacy in the maintenance of the castle over the years. Owing to huge amounts associated with the maintenance of the castle, the Derbyshire Council was not able to maintain the castle efficiently. Furthermore, the possession of the castle was also among the major issues of conserving the building. It has been noted in this regard that the ownership of the castle changed over the years from person to person, thereby affecting the significance of the building to a large extent. Additionally, steps taken by the concerned authority with regard to preserving the castle cannot be considered as extensive initiatives. Lack of resources has been a potential issue associated with the castle, owing to which its repair and maintenance work were kept on hold from quite a long time (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). All these issues associated with the castle hampered its significance. Lack of proper maintenance deteriorated the infrastructural health of the castle too. Changing ownership from time to time also saw changes in the structure and design of the castle, further affecting its historical context. Hence, in precise, it can be depicted that all these aspects or issues had a negative impact and threatened the existence of the castle at large. This loss cannot be totally restored with steps like renovation and restructure, but can be able to preserve the present elements of the castle up to an extent. The conservation statement includes certain capacity for the changes that can be made in the castle in context to its renovation, directly targets retaining the lost significance of the castle. This will include removal of the less significant aspects and keeping the crucial one and preserving the historical identity of the castle by repairing them and not completely removing them. Furthermore, with regard to ensure the conservation of the castle in the future, the renewal will include installation of modern day equipments in the castle so that proper maintenance could be guaranteed without less human intervention. These technological aspects will have the capability to predict future damages or needs or any repair of the castle automatically. Additionally, proper car or other vehicle parking lot will be developed for the visitors so that they will not have to deal with any sort of inconveniences (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). The conservation statement also includes the approaches that will be followed with regard to handling the significant aspects of the castle. This will include the surrounding natural beauty of the castle, historical objects and the interior designs of the castle among others. These aspects should be treated with utmost care and sensitiveness. The proposed policies will include steps to ensure error-free work in the site, which includes proper handling of the materials, historical settings and other significant aspects. Careful attitude towards work in the site will be the primary constituent of this policy. This will also include use of proper machinery in order to ensure adequate care and maintenance of the building. This will certainly minimize the risk of any kind of uncertain scenario during the implementation of the conservation statement. The conservation policies will further include certain long term objectives that will ensure sustainable future of the building. In this regard, proper maintenance policy, periodic assessment of the building after renovation and regular reviews from the visitors would be among the prime (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). 6.0. Outline Policies The National Trust and Derbyshire County Council are working together towards ensuring longevity of the castle. This can be done through proper development and repair in parallel with the intention to make it fit for the present century. These approaches will intent to balance both the natural as well as the architectural heritage of the monument. The plan will include funding application, maintenance of the monument and re-use of the same in the future among others. The National Trust and Derbyshire County Council, with certain other local stakeholders will also carry out the plan for changes to be initiated in the castle (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). Furthermore, the entire castle and the associated buildings of the estate, is designed on the basis of gothic revival style, which further enhances its tradition. Each and every room of the castle has a historical identity of its own. The historical paintings and materials inside the castle further add to its significance. Each of these elements has its own importance and certainly, cannot be replaced by any of the modern day elements. So, while making changes in the castle some of the aspects should be kept as it is. Moreover, Partial new construction and revival of certain sections of the castle or the entire estate will be a significant prospect. With the aid of efficient repair works, the monument will be able to gather its initial beauty for which it is popular all around the world. Moreover, certain new additions will enable the castle to move parallel with the needs and wants of the people of the 21st century (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). It has been noted that the castle is at the verge of being ruined because of its weakening infrastructure, due to lack of maintenance. However, in order maintain its presence, the building should be renovated and used in diverse aspects in the future. Some additions should be made in this regard, which should include hotels, conference halls and exhibition centres, golf courses and construction of new roads for easy access to the place. This is suggested with reference to the re-use plans of the Derbyshire County Council (Elvaston Castle, n.d.). Furthermore, it has been learnt that the uses of the estate or the castle is quite limited in the modern scenario in-spite of rich significance associated with it. However, irrespective of its historic significance, some of the sections of the monument are observed to be in the verge of complete demise. Owing to such aspects, it can be depicted that a better reuse should be made for the monument. In this regard, the above mentioned plans of adding hotels, conference halls, and golf courses will be a vital prospect. From the analysis, it has been understood that the changes will be made in the surrounding area of the castle. Since all the proposed additions include new constructions, it can be conducted with a separate plan. Furthermore, with the renovation of the interior and exterior architecture of the castle, which are in a bad condition, the architectural beauty of the castle will be enhanced. These aspects will ensure re-use of the castle in a different and a better way (The Guardian, 2010). The changing ownership of the castle is expected to continue in the future owing to the fact that the Derbyshire Council is unable to ensure proper maintenance because of funding related problems. This aspect is expected to optimize the conservation requirements of the castle and hence, obtain greater assistance from the targeted partners (The Guardian, 2010). Proper renovation and maintenance of the building can commercially be helpful in attracting people to visit the place in their leisure time. Additionally, building conference halls and golf courses will also facilitate the gathering of more and more people in the place; thereby, enhancing the commercialization of the monument and the surrounding estate. However, it would also be vital to mention that in the process of renovation of the castle and its surrounding, nothing will be demolished or removed, but only conserved owing to its rich historical essence (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). The restructuring plan of the castle will include all the aspects that can make the building significant and historically important. Proper care should be taken to preserve the historical identity of the building, natural beauty of its surrounding and influence of the gothic revival style in its architecture. Also, it is vital that some changes are made in certain sections of the castle in order to make it fit to be used in the modern day scenario. However, the most vital aspect that must be preserved till infinity is the historical identity of the castle (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). This approach of the conservation will be to maintain a balance between the renovation of the castle for making it fit for modern day use and preserving its unique features for a longer period of time. This can be done through proper planning and research. Moreover, it would also be worth mentioning in similar regard that the use of the castle should also be done in a way that would not harm the historic significance of the building. 7.0. Next Steps after Writing a Conservation Statement 7.1. Actions to be taken After the completion of the conservation statement and policies, the next step will be to develop conservation plan from the findings of the statement. The National Trust and Derbyshire County Council will review the statement and proceed to the next step. Furthermore, certain aspects related to the funding operation, such as submission of the statement, documents related with the cost estimation of the plan to be developed with this statement and time limit of the project will also be among the vital actions that would be undertaken (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). 7.2. Reports to be undertaken The National Trust and the Derbyshire County will compare the conservation statement with the statements that were developed in the past. This will allow obtaining a comparative analysis of the statement. Furthermore, the council will also consider and review all the reports that are attached with the statement. 7.3. Timetable 8.0. Adoption and Review The statement that has been developed in accordance to the renovation as well as the conservation of the Elvaston castle will be further used by the National Trust and Derbyshire County Council to decide on the requirement of the project, which includes funding requirement, labour requirement and legal requirement among the crucial (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). The statement will be further reviewed by the National Trust and Derbyshire County Council with the help of experts and specialists, to analyse its accuracy and reliability. Furthermore, the entire project will closely be supervised by the two primary shareholders i.e. the National Trust and the Derbyshire County Council to ensure the effective conversion of the statement into a plan that is to be used for restructuring (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). The copies of the statement will also be held by them as they are the prime bodies associated with the project. Moreover, some of the conservation statements copies of other buildings will also be kept for reference. Other stakeholders of the project will also be provided with a copy of the plan to ensure proper understanding of the work to be executed. Other crucial documents, such as previous statements, investigation report of the castle and maps of the site will be attached with the plan (Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013). 9.0. References BBC. (2002). Elvaston Castle Country Park. Retrieved August 09, 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/derby/features/tours/parks/derby/elvaston_history.shtml Derbyshire. (2011). Elvaston Castle and Estate: Report on Essential Repairs & Associated Costs Volume I. Retrieved August 16, 2013, http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/images/11-05-06%20Elvaston%20Vol%201%20Intro%20and%20Exec%20Summary_tcm44-174384.pdf Derbyshire County Council. (2013). The Natural Reserve Trail. Retrieved August 09, 2013, http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/images/Elvaston%20NR%20map%20spread%201_tcm44-162236.pdf Derbyshire County Council. (2013). Elvaston Castle Country Park. Retrieved August 09, 2013, from http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/countryside/countryside_sites/country_parks/elvaston/default.asp?VD=elvaston Elvaston Castle. (n.d.). The history of Elvaston Castle. Retrieved August 09, 2013, from http://www.elvaston-castle.com/history.htm Elvaston Castle. (n.d.). What happens next? Retrieved August 09, 2013, from http://www.elvaston-castle.com/next.htm Jones Lang Lasalle Ip. (2013). Elvaston Castle: Report on Future Options and Opportunities. Derbyshire County Council, 1-98. Local World. (2013). History of Elvaston Castle. Retrieved August 09, 2013, from http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/History-Elvaston-Castle/story-11641661-detail/story.html#axzz2bRt4WG80 The Guardian. (2010). Elvaston Castle Country Park Development. Retrieved August 09, 2013, from http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/sep/13/elvaston-castle-development 10.0. Bibliography The Friends of Elvaston Castle. (2013). Policy Statement - Friends of Elvaston; A Change for Elvaston. Retrieved August 09, 2013, from http://www.friendsofelvaston.co.uk/ Visit Derbyshire. (2013). Elvaston Castle Country Park. Retrieved August 09, 2013, from http://www.visitderbyshire.co.uk/details-1451.ihtml 11.0. Appendix Photographs of the Castle and Surrounding Area (Source: Jones Lang Lasalle Ip, 2013) Castle and Garden Home Farm The Showground The Kennels Caravan Park Read More