Search the website

New life for Grade I listed Manor

— 15 Jan 2025


#1793

Grade I listed Wortham Manor

#1788

The Manor is owned by The Landmark Trust

#1789

Wortham Manor is thought to date back to the late 15th Century

#1791

The property was sensitively refurbished, and services upgraded

#1794
#1792
#1790
#1786
#1787
1344 Wortham Manor Grade I listed architects renovation 3

Grade I listed Wortham Manor, a Landmark Trust holiday accommodation property, has undergone significant refurbishment to improve energy efficiency and upgrade the facilities; enabling visitors to experience the magnificent medieval / Tudor setting with 21st Century comfort.

Thought to date back to the late 15th Century, the house underwent various alterations over the centuries, including for the noted Devon family the Dinhams in the 16th Century, when the great hall and resplendent chamber above are most likely to date. The manor was saved from disrepair by society architect Philip Tilden in the 1940s, before being acquired as one of the Trust’s earliest purchases in 1969.

The initial brief was to repoint a small area of masonry; carry out some light reordering to introduce a new bathroom and rearrange the sleeping accommodation; as well as introducing ground source heat pumps with more efficient radiators and underfloor heating in line with the Trust’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon.

This was the first time the Trust has carried out full refurbishment on one of their already operational buildings, and once the project was underway, the client decided to make the most of the rare opportunity to carry out works whilst the property was shutdown to guests.

As a result, the house was entirely redecorated; additional joinery built; six bathrooms refitted; new lighting; and the plumbing and wiring were upgraded. Draughtproofing and fire separation measures were put in place and improvements were made to the emergency means of escape.

Working to a tight timeframe, the project was an exercise in pragmatism within the bounds of historic building legislation. As a result of Jonathan Rhind Architects working collaboratively with the client, contractor and local authority, the property has been given a new lease of life with modern facilities without losing any of its historic charm and detail.

 

Project team: 

Client: The Landmark Trust
Architects: Jonathan Rhind Architects
Construction: Ellis and Co

Photographs courtesy Landmark Trust
© John Miller Photography
www.johnmillerphotography.com

 

Blog categories

Recent posts

From the archive

From Instragram

Get in touch to see how we can help you

Contact us
Scroll up