80 South West places no longer at-risk, but others added
The latest 'at-risk' register has been released by Historic England
Over the past year, 54 historic buildings and sites have been added to the Historic England 'at-risk' register in the South West because of their deteriorating condition and 80 sites have been saved.
Many have been rescued thanks to heritage partners and dedicated teams of volunteers, communitgroups, charities, owners and councils, working together with Historic England.
In total there are 1,379 entries across the South West including 210 buildings or structures, 144 places of worship and 17 parks and gardens.
Historic England awarded almost £1 million in repair grants to 46 sites in the region:
Sites removed from the list include at St Peter’s Church, Castle Park in Bristol, where medieval stonework repairs are now complete; Cleveland Pools in Bath, which reopened to swimmers after 40 years following a major conservation project; and Stowey Castle in Somerset, which has been saved by a dedicated local group.
Fifty-four sites in the South West have been added to the Register because of concerns about their condition. Examples include Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, which now faces major roof repairs; King Arthur’s Great Halls, Tintagel, Cornwall, where poor condition threatens precious stained glass and artwork; Barnstaple Guildhall in Devon, which needs structural repair and improved access; and four coastal monuments on the Isles of Scilly which are at risk from climate change.
Rebecca Barrett, Regional Director at Historic England said: “It is central to Historic England’s mission that we pass on to future generations the rich legacy of historic buildings and places that we have inherited from previous generations. Our Heritage at Risk programme is a key contributor to this ambition. With the help of local communities and partners, imaginative thinking and business planning, we can bring historic places back to life in the South West."
SITES ADDED TO THE REGISTER ACROSS THE SOUTH WEST IN 2022 INCLUDE:
CORNWALL
AT RISK: Coastal monuments on the Isles of Scilly (Scheduled Monuments)
Coastal erosion threatens a number of historic sites on the Isles of Scilly.
This year, four scheduled monuments on the Isles of Scilly are being added to the Heritage at Risk register. The additions follow recent monitoring by Cornwall Archaeological Unit as part of the Historic England and Isles of Scilly Council-funded Archaeological Services Consultancy. All are at risk as a result of climate change, rising sea levels, and consequent coastal erosion. All four are defensive sites: one is an Iron Age promontory fort, the Giant’s Castle, and the other earthworks are associated with the English Civil War.
The Giant's Castle sits on a small rocky promontory on the south-east coast of St Mary's. It has four sets of defensive banks and built into the outermost rampart of the cliff castle are remains of a Second World War firing target. Within the ramparts, high over the sea, are natural cairns with spectacular weathered shapes and rock basins, one bearing an OS benchmark, and traces of a lost structure thought to be a coastguard lookout. The site is generally covered in rough grass with some heather, but ongoing coastal erosion is a significant threat, with footpath erosion a secondary factor. The ramparts are truncated at both ends by erosion and on the north-west of the monument the turf has also been eroded as a result of footfall, probably combined with exposure to the salt spray and winds.
Coastal erosion is an intractable and concerning issue and we recognise that it is not possible to save every site. However, we can try to understand the urgency of the threat to individual sites. Looking forward, we hope to develop a project with the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust to raise awareness of the issue and start recording and monitoring those that are most at risk.
Lisa Walton of the Council of the Isles of Scilly said: “The islands are blessed with a wealth of unique heritage unlike anywhere else in the UK and the density of sites is mind-blowing. But whilst our situation, as an isolated island community has preserved a unique historic landscape, it is this very circumstance that now threatens many of our sites and monuments.
The islands are at the forefront of climate change and the landscape and coastline containing a high proportion of our sites are directly in the path of an unstoppable force: rising sea level, coastal erosion and erratic stormy weather conditions. It is more important than ever to capture this moment before it is gone. How we manage and adapt to these inevitable processes will decide how much we can understand about our past, for future generations, before it’s too late.”
The four scheduled monuments are: The Giant's Castle cliff castle; Prehistoric hut circle and Civil War fieldworks on eastern Toll's Hill; Prehistoric linear boundary and Civil War fieldworks on north western Toll's Hill; Civil War breastwork and battery on Newford Island
AT RISK: King Arthur’s Great Halls, Tintagel, Cornwall (Grade II* listed)
A historic building and its stunning artworks, key to Tintagel’s connection with Arthurian legend, faces major repairs.
The name Tintagel is now synonymous with the legend of King Arthur, a major driver of tourism to the Cornish town. Now, a building which helped cement those associations and drew people to experience the legend first-hand needs major repairs.
King Arthur’s Great Halls were designed as the headquarters for the Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table and built between 1927 and 1933 by Frederick Thomas Glasscock (1871-1934), co-founder of the Monk & Glass custard company.
The Halls embody the Fellowship’s principles of knighthood, chivalry and honour through their architecture, fittings and decoration, which are still intact today. They include 73 stained-glass windows by artist Veronica Whall (1887-1967), widely considered to be one of the finest examples of Arts and Crafts stained-glass windows, and a series of ten specially commissioned oil paintings telling the story of King Arthur and his Knights by artist William Hatherell (1855-1928). The fabric of the Halls themselves were built to reflect Cornwall’s rich geology and feature an extensive range of local stone throughout the building, a characteristic not found in any other Cornish building.
The fabric of the building and its rich interiors and collections are now at risk due to the deterioration of the roofs, which is allowing water into the building. The street frontage and roof were perilously close to structural failure and have been repaired recently, leaving almost no resources to complete the urgent roof works.
Jeremy Chadburn, conservation architect to King Arthur’s Halls, said: “King Arthur’s Halls are an almost otherworldly time capsule that play a very special role in Cornwall’s history. Its fabric and artworks are now under threat of significant loss and damage. We hope its addition to the Heritage at Risk Register will help raise awareness and garner support for the urgent repairs the building and contents now need.”
Website: http://www.kingarthursgreathalls.co.uk
DEVON
AT RISK: The Guildhall, High Street, Barnstaple, Devon (Grade II* listed)
The Grade II* listed building in the heart of Barnstaple is now in need of repair.
Barnstaple Guildhall is a fine early 19th-century civic building situated at the heart of the North Devon town, next to the Pannier Market. Started in 1826, the Guildhall comprises a main chamber, formerly the courtroom, the council chamber and the Mayor’s Parlour, which was created in 1922 out of the former charge-room and cell. The Guildhall is still used by the Town Council, but it is also a visitor attraction and it holds the town silver and many fascinating relics of Barnstaple’s past.
Repairs are now needed to some of the exterior architectural details and structural movement in the main chamber galleries needs to be addressed. Works to improve accessibility are also proposed to enable the Guildhall to be used for more community events.
Councillor Louisa York, Mayor of Barnstaple, said: “The Guildhall is the centrepiece of the town centre and it is vital that it is made more accessible and able to be used for the benefit of the town. It is such an impressive building and we have a responsibility to make sure that it is cared for and serves the residents and visitors of Barnstaple.”
Website: https://www.barnstapletowncouncil.gov.uk/heritage-and-culture/the-guildhall-barnstaple/
BRISTOL AND BATH
AT RISK: Kingsley Hall, Old Market Street, Bristol (Grade II* listed)
An exciting regeneration project is planned for this Bristol charity HQ.
Built as a house in 1709, Grade II* Kingsley Hall was remodelled as offices in the late 19th century. When it became the headquarters of the Independent Labour Party in 1911, it was renamed in honour of priest, historian and poet Charles Kingsley (1819-1875). Later, trades unions and suffragettes met in
Kingsley Hall was remodelled as offices in the late 19th century. When it became the headquarters of the Independent Labour Party in 1911, it was renamed in honour of priest, historian and poet Charles Kingsley (1819-1875). Later, trades unions and suffragettes met in Kingsley Hall. Now, as the base and headquarters of youth homelessness charity 1625 Independent People, it continues to be linked to social change.
1625 Independent People works with young people who are homeless, leaving care, or at risk of homelessness in the South West, offering support to more than 1,500 young people each year. As well as providing safe, stable accommodation, the charity provides practical and emotional support to ensure vulnerable young people can build healthy relationships, develop independent living skills and can access jobs and training, in order to flourish and thrive as an independent adult.
In 2022, the roofs and exterior fabric of Kingsley Hall were found to be in need of urgent repair, and the building was placed on the Heritage at Risk Register. A project to repair the building and bring it into sustainable, long-term use as a safe and welcoming place for the city’s most disadvantaged young people is now in development, following initial support thanks to a development grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.i
Jamie Gill of 1625 Independent People said: “The National Lottery Heritage Fund award means we can bring the building into good repair and provide accommodation, training spaces and meeting places for young people, and high-quality office space for our team. Transforming Kingsley Hall will be a great opportunity to use heritage as a platform to transform young people’s lives by developing their skills, relationships and their sense of identity and belonging. They will be at the heart of the project from the outset by leading the work, young people will develop their sense of ownership, grow in confidence and change the way they view themselves and their future.”
One of the young people supported by the charity said of the project: “I would like to learn about the importance of Kingsley Hall and the rich history of Bristol, especially all the communities …. interacting with them, learning from each other, learning from the past, how to change the future.”
Website: https://www.1625ip.co.uk/
WILTSHIRE
AT RISK: Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire (Grade I listed)
Celebrated parish church faces first major repairs in a generation.
The Benedictine Abbey church at Malmesbury was founded in the 7th century, but the oldest surviving fabric dates from around 1180, including the celebrated south porch, a masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture. It is also the final resting place of King Athelstan (894 – 939), the first king of England.
Malmesbury Abbey has undergone many changes in its history, the most dramatic perhaps being the collapse of its spire in 1479, which had been taller than that of Salisbury Cathedral.
Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries everything east of the crossing was allowed to become ruinous leaving nine bays of the nave, which were rescued and given to the town as a parish church. Following the collapse of the west tower in 1662, this was subsequently reduced to the six bays that survive today with its clerestories, a north and south aisle and the famous south porch.
Restorations have been carried out over the centuries, including most recently by the architectural historian Sir Harold Brakspear in 1903. The roofs of the nave and both aisles are currently leaking and need re-roofing, and the timber roof structures beneath require repair. Some of the Romanesque stonework is also vulnerable.
Malmesbury Abbey is a ‘major parish church’, one of 300 places of worship identified by the Church of England as representing the most historically significant parish church buildings facing a different scale of opportunities and challenges compared to most of the 12,267 listed Church of England church buildings. As a large, historically important building, Malmesbury Abbey’s upkeep and repair pose a significant challenge. As with all parish churches, the responsibility for this falls entirely on the local community.
The Abbey is a much-loved and well-cared-for place. It has the support of dedicated volunteers, a Friends group and the local community. As well as being a place of prayer and reflection, the Abbey welcomes around 65,000 visitors each year and offers a programme of events and activities for everyone. This includes ‘Abbey Skate’ which once a year transforms the historic church into an indoor skate park for young people. Harnessing this support will be vital to the success of the repair programme now in development.
The Reverend Oliver Ross, vicar of Malmesbury and Upper Avon, said: “Malmesbury Abbey is a jewel within the nation and has suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune within its history. It is a 12th-century beauty as well as a living church and also a place of pilgrimage and tourism for many visitors over the year. We are looking to enable this wonderful building to be enjoyed on a daily basis by the next generations and centuries ahead.”
Diana Evans, Head of Places of Worship Strategy at Historic England, said: “The fact that Malmesbury Abbey is being added to the Heritage at Risk Register illustrates that even very hard-working congregations struggle to maintain historic places of worship, let alone cover the cost of major repairs. We hope this will highlight that urgent support is needed.”
For more information go to https://www.malmesburyabbey.com/giving/ and www.exploremalmesbury.com
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
AT RISK: Tewkesbury Museum, Barton Street, Tewkesbury (Grade II* listed)
Urgent roof repairs are now needed to protect this much-loved museum and its collections.
Tewkesbury Museum’s local collections illustrate life in the area from Roman times to the 1950s. It is housed in a pair of mid-17th century timber-framed houses, donated to the borough of Tewkesbury to be used as a museum by an ‘anonymous gentleman’ in the 20th century. The 17th-century interior includes wood panelling, decorative plasterwork and a carved wooden frieze. The museum is owned by the Town Council and run by a charity supported by many volunteers.
The building has been placed on the Heritage at Risk Register as its tiled roofs now need urgent and extensive repairs, and an internal rainwater system is alarmingly under-sized. Additional leaks come from failing gutters behind a poorly dismantled chimney.
The most critically urgent roof works were completed in 2021 with a grant of £25,000 from the Culture Recovery Fund, but water is still getting into the upper two floors and the roof space and has caused damage to an elaborate Jacobean plaster ceiling on the second floor. Historic England is working with the museum’s trustees and the Town Council to find a solution.
Tewkesbury Town Council’s Buildings & Moorings Committee Chairperson, Cllr Christine Danter said: “The Town Council has maintained the building for many years, but recently, the list of repairs needed to keep the building up to standard and habitable as a Museum has grown significantly.
We are now in a position where we fully understand all the work needed on the building both externally and internally and we are progressing with options to undertake this work. In the meantime, being added to the Heritage at Risk Register emphasises the historical importance of this 17th century, Grade II* listed building and reinforces the desire to ensure the building can continue to be used as a Museum for many years to come.”
AT RISK: The Folk of Gloucester, Westgate Street, Gloucester (Grade II* listed)
Repairs are already in hand as part of Gloucester’s regeneration programme.
The Folk of Gloucester is a group of three striking timber-framed Tudor buildings in the city’s Cathedral Quarter, an area which is the focus of significant regeneration activity including the High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ), funded by Historic England and Gloucester City Council. The Folk makes a major contribution to the vibrancy of Westgate Street as a venue for cultural activities and events for all.
The timber-framed buildings began life as wealthy cloth merchant’s houses, then became shops, and one was owned by a pinmaker and used as a factory in the 18th century. Gloucester City Council opened two of the buildings as a Folk Museum in 1935 and from 1950 to 1978 the third was the Museum of the Gloucestershire Regiment. They were restored between 1968 and 1972 for Gloucester City Council and in 1978 amalgamated as the Folk Museum. Since 2019, the buildings have been managed by Gloucester Civic Trust.
The building is being added to the Heritage at Risk Register this year as the timber framing needs urgent repair, and important internal wall paintings, only recently discovered, are at risk.
An initial phase of repairs to the timber-framed façade was completed in the summer of 2022 through the Cathedral Quarter HSHAZ. The conservation of the wall paintings will be part of a forthcoming project called Rebirth of The Folk of Gloucester; What, Where, When, Why? supported by a £57,890 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Martyn White of Gloucester Civic Trust said: “Since undertaking the management, and now lease of The Folk, we have begun to breathe new life into these magnificent but tired buildings. Grant funding has helped us towards the cost of works to date and we have exciting plans for future conservation of the buildings for the benefit of this and future generations.”
Website: https://thefolkofgloucester.co.uk/ and https://www.cathedralquartergloucester.uk/
SITES RESCUED AND REMOVED FROM THE HERITAGE AT RISK REGISTER IN 2022 ACROSS THE SOUTH WEST INCLUDE:
CORNWALL
SAVED: Cadsonbury Hillfort, Cornwall (Scheduled Monument)
Ancient Cornish hillfort saved thanks to land stewardship scheme.
Cadsonbury is a spectacular hillfort set on a conical hill above the River Lynher in south-east Cornwall. The site had been on the Heritage at Risk Register for many years but this year, as a result of a partnership between Historic England, the National Trust, Natural England, and Defra, it has been removed as its future has been secured.
Cadsonbury went into a Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship agreement in 2020 and through a Historic and Archaeological feature protection Plan (HAP) put in place in the first two years of the agreement, a huge amount of work has taken place to improve the site’s condition. Fences have been realigned, bracken cut and rolled, selected trees removed, and scrub has been cleared, opening up outstanding views of the defences. This work has been complemented by a Historic England grant towards an innovative new water supply system to enable more flexible grazing, which will ensure that the improvement will be sustained in the long-term. In addition, a desk-top assessment, informed by lidar and geophysical surveys, has increased our understanding of the site and will enable improved interpretation in the future.
George Holmes, Lead Ranger for the National Trust at Cotehele, said: “We are thrilled to have worked with our partner organisations so positively in protecting and enhancing the hillfort at Cadsonbury. To see it being removed from the Heritage at Risk register really shows how effective the work completed has been and we now look forward to continuing our journey to make sure the hillfort maintains its condition. We’re also excited that with an improved understanding of the hillfort, we can start to tell visitors more about this fascinating site in the years to come”.
BRISTOL AND BATH
SAVED: Cleveland Pools, Bath (Grade II* listed)
Swimmers return to Britain’s oldest lido as major conservation works completed.
In September 2022, a multi-million-pound conservation project to rescue Britain’s oldest lido was successfully completed, and swimmers were welcomed back to Cleveland Pools for the first time in 40 years.
After tireless fundraising, skilled conservation work, and with the benefit of a sustainable water-heating system, Cleveland Pools has been saved for people to enjoy for generations to come.
Project Director, Anna Baker said: "The Cleveland Pools Trust is delighted to see this heritage gem restored. It has been a complex project to deliver, and its success is thanks to a truly Herculean effort involving many determined volunteers and a skilled construction team. Now, with thanks to the support of the National Heritage Lottery Fund, this amazing historic outdoor pool is ready for a new chapter of magic memories."
John Ette, Partnerships Team Leader at Historic England said: “Historic England is delighted to have been able to support the restoration of this outstanding Grade II* listed riverside lido in Bath World Heritage Site. Opened in 1815, Cleveland Pools closed in the 1970s but since 2005 the Cleveland Pools Trust have been working hard to raise £8m for its restoration which has been secured with the support of a £600,000 grant from Historic England and £6.5m from the National Heritage Lottery Fund. The project was completed in September and the pools will reopen fully in 2023.”
Website: https://www.clevelandpools.org.uk
SAVED: Church of St Peter, Castle Park, Bristol (Grade II* listed)
Bristol landmark secured after its medieval stonework is repaired.
The Grade II* St Peter's Church in Castle Park is thought to be on the site of the first, pre-Conquest church in the city. The largely 15th-century building suffered bomb damage in the Second World War, since when it has been left as an un-roofed shell and monument to Bristolians who lost their lives during the conflict. It is a significant landmark in a popular public park.
Over the years, fire and water damage have caused significant damage to the structure and in 2019 St Peter’s was placed on the Heritage at Risk Register. The serious deterioration of the medieval stonework throughout the building led to health and safety concerns and the church was closed to the public.
Historic England provided a grant of £50,600 to help fund repairs to the high-level stonework and walls including pinning, repointing, and structural bracing of arches. This work was completed in 2021 and the structure is now safe, but the poor condition and subsidence of the 1970s concrete and gravel flooring now needs to be addressed to allow full public access to the site once again.
Wessex Archaeology investigated the cause of the subsidence in July 2022 to inform the design of a new floor. This coincided with the annual Festival of Archaeology and provided an opportunity to hold an open day to allow people to handle artefacts and find out more about the building and its archaeology.
Councillor Ellie King, Cabinet member for Public Health and Communities, with responsibility for Parks at Bristol City Council, said: “Recently I attended a busy archaeology open day at St Peter’s Church in Castle Park, and it was fantastic to see the progress that has been made to make this popular location safe. St Peter’s Church and the streets that used to surround it were devastated by the Blitz during World War II and ever since the walls of the church have stood as a memorial to the lives lost. It is a building that cannot help but echo back to us stories from our shared past.
“It is very reassuring to see the site declared safe and removed from the Heritage at Risk Register. Our next steps now involve levelling the floor and countering significant subsidence that has taken place over the years. We are hopeful that we will be able to open up the memorial to the public in the not too distant future.
Once open St Peter’s Church will form an important link to the regenerated north-western corner of Castle Park: where long-derelict buildings are being demolished and another historic church St Mary-le-Port is also being restored.”
SAVED: Roman Catholic Church of St Bernadette, Wells Road, Bristol (Grade II listed)
Striking modern church repaired thanks to a dedicated local community.
St Bernadette was designed in 1967 by James Leask of Kenneth Nealon, Tanner & Partners to accompany the Catholic school built on the centenary of the apparitions at Lourdes. Bold and innovative in design and materials, it features steep, curving paraboloid roofs and pointed peaks. Its interior emphasises a close relationship between the altar and the congregation, and presents an open and inclusive appearance to the wider community.
The building was placed on the Heritage at Risk Register in 2018 when some of the original materials started to show signs of deterioration. Water began to get in through the roof coverings, affecting the ceiling and the roof structure.
The community successfully completed the major repairs in March 2022, having raised over £1m to meet the costs with the support of the Diocese of Clifton.
SOMERSET
SAVED: Kilve Chantry, Somerset (Scheduled Monument)
Picturesque ruin near the Somerset coast saved after many years of careful conservation.
In the winter of 2021, regular visitors to Kilve on the Somerset coast might have noticed something different about the picturesque ruins overlooking Bridgwater Bay. A large steel structure which had propped up the south gable wall for many years had been removed, signalling the completion of a major conservation project.
The ruins of the 14th century building were placed on Historic England’s at Risk Register in 2000 due to the poor condition of the masonry and the perilous lean on the south gable wall, which was propped in 2004 to prevent collapse. Emergency repairs funded by Historic England were completed in 2011, and further phases of repair supported by the owner and Historic England were carried out from 2013 onwards and successfully completed this spring.
The ruins were thought to be those of the chantry of five priests founded in 1329 by Sir Simon de Furneaux to pray for his soul, but more recent research suggests that they are the remains of the 13th century manor and main residence of the de Furneaux family. The buildings had fallen into disrepair before the Dissolution and were re-used as a farm house. A fire in 1848 caused severe damage and much of the complex has since been ruinous, although the hall range was heightened and divided to become two cottages.
One of the cottages is now a tea room, popular with locals and visitors drawn to the area by the South West Coast Path or its literary connections – the landscape inspired William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s masterpiece The Lyrical Ballads. Wordsworth must have known the ruins, he mentioned ‘Kilve’s delightful shore’ in his poem ‘Anecdote for Fathers’.
The Trustees of the East Quantoxhead Estate said: “We are delighted that the repair of the spectacular Chantry is now complete. Without the financial and technical help of Historic England and a contribution from the Historic Houses Foundation, this conservation project would not have been possible. It is clever work by Simon Cartlidge our architect and Mann Williams our structural engineers, bringing a fragile and unsafe ruinous building back into public use.
“It has been a long and difficult project, but it now contributes so much to the area and adds to the attraction of Kilve Beach, which, with its cafe, fossils, dramatic geological formations and oil retort, is such an interesting and popular place to visit.”
SAVED: Stowey Castle, Somerset (Scheduled Monument)
Much-loved monument cleared of damaging vegetation thanks to a dedicated local group.
Stowey Castle in Somerset, nestled between the village and the foot of the Quantock Hills, represents the impressive remains of a medieval motte and bailey fortification with spectacular views across the Bristol Channel.
Motte and bailey castles were introduced into Britain by the Normans and consisted of a motte; a large mound of earth on which would have stood a defensive keep built from stone or timber, and one or more baileys; an enclosed area overlooked by the keep and usually surrounded by an earthen rampart and timber palisade. Not only are motte and baileys particularly important to the story of Norman Britain, they add character and distinctiveness to a place, and can be important community resources, often bringing a wide range of benefits to the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of individuals and communities.
In 2018 Stowey Castle, known locally as ‘The Mount’, was added to the Heritage at Risk Register due to invasive bracken and gorse which had almost completely taken over the whole site. Bracken and scrub growth can not only cause harm to sensitive archaeological deposits, but they also obscure features from view, making places difficult to see and understand as historic monuments.
Together with help from the landowner, the Quantocks Landscape Partnership Scheme, the Stowey Green Spaces volunteers, and funding from Historic England, the bracken and gorse has been cleared, and the site has been re-fenced to allow a flock of Herdwick sheep to graze the site. The condition of the castle is now much improved, and it is well cared for by the local community and the Stowey Green Spaces Group, allowing it to be removed from the 2022 Heritage at Risk register.
Landowner Sue Aubrey said: “I had struggled over the years to control the spread of bracken and gorse. As a member of Stowey Green Spaces Group I suggested The Mount might be a worthwhile project. Group members, familiar with The Mount as a popular walk and a place where children sledged over the years, were in full agreement.”
Chairman of the Stowey Green Spaces Group, Roy Osborn, said: “Clearing the bracken and gorse gave a greater appreciation of the sheer steepness of the motte and the difficulty those attacking would have had in even approaching the bailey. This led, in turn, to a better understanding of the importance of the castle to the village for defence and control in Norman times, and giving the village its identity today.”
Dan Broadbent, Historic Heritage Officer at the Quantock Landscape Partnership Scheme said: “We are delighted to have been able to support the conservation work at Stowey Castle. The provision of new stock-proof fencing has enabled grazing of the motte and bailey site, which, together with the sterling work of volunteers from Stowey Green Spaces, will help to keep the site in good condition for future generations.”
Quantock Landscape Partnership Scheme website: https://qlps.org.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
SAVED: Guise Mausoleum, Elmore, Gloucestershire (Grade II* listed)
Repairs completed to a Roman mausoleum in an English rural churchyard.
Sir John Guise (1677-1732) turned to the architecture of ancient Rome to ensure his final resting place reflected his intellectual interests. Built in the parish churchyard of St John the Baptist, Elmore in 1733, Sir John Guise’s is one of the earliest mausolea in England and thought to be the earliest known neo-Classical structure in the country since antiquity to incorporate baseless Doric columns in its design. This element was to become a key component of the neo-Classical style in the later 18th century.
In his will of 1732, a week before his death, Sir John stipulated that a monument should be built for himself and his family based on what he believed to be an illustration of the tomb of the Roman poet Virgil, as the Guise family were Classicists. The illustration in fact depicted a Roman mausoleum at Terracina to the south of Rome, which no longer exists. Sir John’s architect produced an exact copy of the Roman building, and in doing so set it apart from other mausolea built at the time which were variations on an antique theme.
The Guise Mausoleum has been in ruins since the pyramid roof structure and vault beneath collapsed in the early 20th century, leaving only the lower portion of the piers and columns standing and masonry blocks scattered in the immediate area. It was rediscovered by Sir Howard Colvin in 1991 and taken into guardianship by the Mausolea and Monuments Trust in 1998. Their research led to the upgrade of its listing to Grade II*, and it was placed on the Heritage at Risk Register in 2017.
In 2020 Historic England helped to fund a programme of surveys and vegetation removal for an options appraisal, and work began on consolidation in early 2022. Final masonry repairs were carried out in the autumn of 2022.
Charles Wagner, Trustee of the Mausolea and Monuments Trust, said: “No other type of building is quite so personal or so diverse as a mausoleum. The Guise Mausoleum is a wonderful expression of family pride and architectural ambition. We are delighted to have completed survey work to understand this mausoleum and its conservation this year with the support of skilled craftspeople, sponsors and volunteers. Our ultimate aim is to see it partially reconstructed using the stones that we have found on site and carefully catalogued.”
Website: https://www.mmtrust.org.uk/