Holden Clough, Holden, Bolton by Bowland, Lancashire - Proposed Refurbishment - Heritage Statement
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Holden Clough, Holden,
Bolton by Bowland, Lancashire
Proposed Refurbishment
Heritage Statement
June 2012
JWRC
Chartered Building Surveyors & Historic Building Consultants
23 West Street
Morecambe
Lancashire LA3 1RB
01524 833371
enquiries@jwrc.co.uk J W RC
1
1.0 Introduction
1.1 The Report
This Heritage Statement has been commissioned by Mason Gillibrand Architects on behalf
of Mr Andrew Yates. It is a response to a request by Ribble Valley Borough Council for a more
detailed Heritage Statement to supplement the Design and Access Statement submitted with the
planning application (Reference 3/2012/0318 ). Although Holden Clough is not Listed, the defi-
nition of a ‘Heritage Asset’ in PPS5 can include assets that are not designated but are identified by
the local planning authority during the process of decision-making. This report has been prepared
by Jonathan Ratter BA MA DipSurv IHBC MRICS following a site visit on 25th May 2012.
1.2 Statutory Protection
Fieldwork for the Accelerated Re-Survey of Listed Buildings in Bolton-by-Bowland parish was
carried out in 1983 and a revised Statutory List was issued in February 1984. Holden Clough was
visited and assessed at that time and was judged not to be of listable quality. It does not lie within
a Conservation Area. The criteria in use at the time of the re-survey, and not significantly changed
since, stated that most buildings of between 1700 and 1840 are Listed but that selection is neces-
sary, particularly towards the end of the period. Between 1840 and 1914 only buildings of ‘Defi-
nite Quality and Character’ are Listed. As the Victorian work at Holden Clough is not of high
design quality or craftsmanship and the early / mid 19th century work is altered and was also not
of outstanding quality, it did not meet the criteria for protection.
2.0 The Building
2.1 Historical Background
‘Recollections of a Country Gentleman’ by Richard Milne-Redhead was privately published in
1977, and although its style is discursive it does include some background information about
Holden Clough. Unfortunately, he states that the old deeds were destroyed when evacuees were in
the house during the 1939-45 war and he does not give any definite information about the date of
the earliest remaining part of the house.
The book states that Holden Clough was bought in 1763 by William Tipping from Sawley, who
was in financial trouble by 1793. The author speculates that this was because of the money spent
enlarging the house, but this seems unlikely as the surviving Regency details suggest a later date.
He owed money to his sister-in-law, Jane Dixon of Liverpool, and when she foreclosed she came
to live at Holden Clough. She then became a guarantor of the calico printing firm of her nephew
Robert Tipping, and when the business failed was declared bankrupt. The properties were repos-
sessed by the private bank of Pedder, Newsham and Lomax and Co. of Preston and offered for
sale by auction in 1813. The auction appears to have been unsuccessful, as the properties were
offered for sale by this same firm of bankers in 1861. They were bought by the sitting tenant at
Holden Clough, Mr Elkanah Holdroyd. The initials ‘E H C’ on an archway on the east side of the
rear wing, together with the date ‘1868’, are probably those of Mr & Mrs Holdroyd.
In 1877 Holden Clough was bought by Richard Milne-Redhead (1828-1900 and grandfather of
2
the author of the book), a non-practicing barrister, traveller, collector of plants and seeds and Fel-
low of the Linnean Society. He retained his principal residence of Springfield, on the outskirts of
Salford. Within months he had pulled down the central part of the house, ‘Leaving only the front
and staff bedrooms, coach house and stable.’
In 1900 the house was inherited by Richard’s second son, and by 1932 was being run as a nursing
home by his grandson.
An illustration in the book (page 27 and reproduced here as Figure 2) is undated but is interest-
ing. It shows the front of the house completely covered by creeper and with a different porch.
Instead of the present sandstone Tuscan porch there is a more lightweight one of timber or iron
with Tudor arches, more Regency in style. It also helps to explain the incongruous juxtaposition of
the rusticated surround to the front door and the pilasters to each side of them (Photograph 1).
The first edition of the six inch Ordnance Survey map (Figure 1) was surveyed in 1847, before
Richard Milne-Redhead’s alterations. It shows a T-shaped main house, with a projection on the
north-east side of the rear wing, and separate outbuildings.
Figure 1. The first edition of the six-inch Ordnance Survey map, surveyed in 1847.
Figure 2. An undated photograph of the house from ‘Recollections of a Country Gentleman’ by Richard Milne-
Redhead, page 27.
3
Sewing
Room Study
Sitting
Sitting
Room
Room
Hall External Terrace
Cellar
Access
Cellar
Access
Drawing
-3310-
Room
WC
Kitchen
Back Hall
Dining
-3280-
Room
Lobby
Utility Pantry Store
Garage
Outbuilding 1
Rear
Ancillary Courtyard Porch Conservatory
Utility Store
Store
Store
Store
Store
Outbuilding 2
Ancillary Wing
Store
Store
Garage
Greenhouse
Outbuilding 3
Underpass
Store
WC
Drawing 1
Based on survey drawing by
Mason Gillibrand Architects Ground Floor Plan
Scale: 1:200
4
Bedroom 1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3
hatch
Landing
Bathroom
Hall/Corridor
Bedroom 4
Bathroom
Bedroom 6
Back
Hall/Corridor
Bedroom 5
Back
-2900-
Stair
Bathroom WC Store up ladder
Store
2R
8R
Outbuilding 1
1R
Bedroom 7
0
183
DH
Store
Bedroom 8
Outbuilding 2
Bedroom 9
Outbuilding 3
Bedroom 10
Store
Drawing 2
Based on survey drawing by
Mason Gillibrand Architects First Floor Plan
Scale: 1:200
5
Store
Store Store Store
Boiler Room / Corridor
Log Store
vaulted ceiling over vaulted ceiling over
External
Cellar
Steps
chute Store
Drawing 3
Based on survey drawing by
Mason Gillibrand Architects Cellar Plan
Scale: 1:200
6
South East Elevation
Regency House 1870s Rebuilding Ancillary Wing
North East Elevation
Based on survey drawings by
Drawing 4
Mason Gillibrand Architects South-East & North-East Elevations
Scale: 1:200
7
Ancillary Wing 1870s Rebuilding Regency House
GB-NS
GB-NS
South West Elevation
North West Elevation
Based on survey drawings by
Drawing 5
Mason Gillibrand Architects South-West & North-West Elevations
Scale: 1:200
8
2.2 The Development of the Building: First Phase (Early / Mid 19th Century)
Although historical information in ‘Recollections of a Country Gentleman’ indicates that there
was a house at Holden Clough from at least the late 18th century onwards, no surviving fabric
earlier than the 19th century is now visible. The earlier house must either have been demolished
or was not on the same site. Architecturally the house is plain, but all the features that help with
dating the earliest phase are Regency in character, from the early/mid 19th century. These include
the setting, which is typical of the period with a ‘natural’ garden and a curving driveway approach-
ing to one side of the main entrance and giving glimpses of the front of the house through trees.
The reeded ornament (Photograph 18), door panels with applied mouldings to their borders
(Photograph 32) and the original porch (Figure 2) are also typical. It seems likely, therefore, that
the earliest part of the present house was built after 1813, when the property was in the owner-
ship of the Pedder, Newsham and Lomax and Co.
The first edition of the six-inch Ordnance Survey map (Figure 1) shows that the main house had
a T-shaped plan and that the outbuildings at the rear were not joined to the rear wing, as they are
today. The plan of the surviving front part of the building is an unusual one for a family home.
This is probably explained by the fact that this was not intended to be a main residence. Pheas-
ant shooting was becoming a popular activity for the wealthy, and it is possible that the house was
partly designed to accommodate non-resident shooting parties, with a small entrance hall in which
to greet them when they arrived and a larger hall at the rear for them to assemble in.
The main, south-east, facade is symmetrical. It was almost certainly rendered originally: rough
rubble walling was not fashionable until the Victorian period, the stone dressings are raised to
accommodate the thickness of a render, and traces of lime are still visible on the faces of some of
the stones (Photograph 2) The sash windows would have had glazing bars and not the plate glass
panes that were installed later in the 19th century. Figure 2 shows that the porch was originally a
lighter-weight structure with Tudor gothic arches: the rusticated stonework around the doorway
would have been more visible.
The proportions of the main part of the facade are based on two squares, one to each side of the
central door and window. However, the outer windows are not centred on these squares, as is
common in Georgian architecture, but on the rooms. Because the entrance hall and the bedroom
above are of equal width to the rooms to each side, the windows are one window-width from the
corners of the main block and two window-widths from the door and window in the centre. The
windows to the single-storey flanking wings are also centred on the rooms, which means that they
are offset towards the centre of the building. The result is a somewhat uncomfortable rhythm to
the spacing of the windows.
A full-height cellar remains under the original part of the house, partly vaulted, as was typical of
the period. A blocked fireplace and the remains of a flue to another fireplace indicate that they
were used for some service functions as well as for storage. On the ground and first floors a few re-
maining doors, architraves and cornices probably date from this period, but their plainness makes
them difficult to date precisely. The Ancillary Wing has been altered considerably, but seems to
have included arched openings to carriage houses on the ground floor and servants’ rooms above.
9
2.3 The Development of the Building: Second Phase (Alterations in the 1870s)
A datestone at the rear suggests that an archway linking the rear part of the Ancillary Wing with
the house was installed in 1868. Much more substantial alterations were carried out by Richard
Milne-Redhead after he bought the property in 1877. They included the installation of the rather
crudely-detailed main staircase and rebuilding of part of the rear wing to create a tall block with
a facade with bay window facing south-west towards the stream. Architecturally it is undistin-
guished and its scale means that it dwarfs the original front part of the building in some views.
Internally, the joinery in the rebuilt part of the house is plain, with simple chamfers to panelled
doors, and no chimneypieces or other fittings of quality survive. This probably reflects the fact
that the house was not a main residence. Some of the window openings to the Ancillary Wing
also seem to have been altered at this time, and a few remaining 19th century fireplace surrounds
on the first floor seem to date from this period.
2.4 Mid 20th Century Alterations
Substantial works appear to have been carried out in the mid 20th century, presumably after the
building reverted to being a private house after being used as a nursing home and after use in
the Second World War. The replacement porch has already been mentioned, and steel and cor-
rugated iron supports visible in the cellar indicate that the floor in the circular entrance hall was
also replaced. Many of the fireplaces date from this period. Garages were created from two of the
outbuildings and a flat-roofed rear porch was added. The ground floor of the Ancillary Wing, pre-
viously including coach houses, was converted into an annexe to the house. This was done crudely,
with bay windows added to the north-west facade, which was also brush-pointed with cement. In
recent years maintenance of the Ancillary Wing has been neglected.
2.5 The Present Character of the House
The setting of the house, reflecting its Regency origins and the development of the estate by a
Victorian plant collector, is its most significant feature. The main facade, facing south-east, is the
only architectural composition of any significance, but it has been altered in the 19th and 20th
centuries and as a classical architectural design it has some shortcomings.
The character of the ancillary courtyard to the north reflects its more utilitarian function, with
cobbling and early / mid 19th century outbuilding remaining. However, it now has a somewhat
run-down appearance and the flat-roofed 20th century porch and the garage extensions to Out-
buildings 1 and 3 detract from its character.
In private views from gardens on the west side of the house the large and plain 1870s block domi-
nates. On this side the elevation of the Ancillary Wing detracts from the historic character of the
house: it has three mid 20th century flat-roofed bay windows, now in poor condition, a dilapi-
dated lean-to greenhouse and is brush pointed with grey cement.
103.0 The Impact of the Proposals
3.1 Alterations to the Facade
The proposals include changes to the roof and eaves details, raising of the wings to two storeys
and conversion of the outer ground-floor windows to French windows. The details (an eaves
cornice, French windows and glazing bar sashes) are appropriate for the late Georgian character
of the house as originally designed. As an architectural composition it is arguably an improvement
on the existing and counterbalances the dominant 1870s block behind. It is also appropriate for
the historic character of its setting, where the carefully-controlled informality of the landscaping
and planting contrasts with the classical regularity of the principal facade.
3.2 Demolition and Replacement of the Ancillary Wing
The rear part of this wing was originally detached and was probably contemporary with the front
part of the house. The wing appears to have been altered in the 1870s, and the ground floor was
unsympathetically converted in the 20th century. It has been disused for some time and is now in
poor condition. In its current state it detracts from views of the house from the private gardens
to the west. The proposed replacement is a high-quality design that responds to its setting by its
low horizontal proportions, and by incorporating a wall of reclaimed stone facing the courtyard,
a spine wall that links to a garden wall and a glazed garden room opening onto the gardens. In its
use of glass it is clearly modern, but it is a good example of contemporary design in an historic
context, clearly of its time rather than imitating old work.
3.3 Internal Alterations
Photographs 15 & 19 show that the present main staircase, dating from the 1870s, is of indiffer-
ent quality. Photographs 14, 20, 21, 22 and 24 show that the rooms affected by the works do not
have original fireplaces or joinery of any quality. Although the layout and sizes of the rooms will
be altered, the original plan form will be legible from the external appearance of the building, and
the changes will correct the present imbalance in the sizes of the receptions rooms and the diffi-
culties of circulation.
3.4 Outbuildings in Yard
Some of the outbuildings appear to be contemporary with the original house, but all have been
altered to some extent. The proposed changes will maintain the character of the courtyard as a
mainly working area of rubble stone buildings, remove the flat-roofed porch and garage extensions
and, except for timber doors, conceal garaging underground.
114.0 Conclusions
The assessment of Holden Clough made during the Re-Survey of Listed Buildings in the 1980s
was correct: it is not of sufficient historical or architectural interest to justify statutory protec-
tion. However, it is of local interest architecturally as an altered Regency villa, historically as the
second home of a Victorian plant collector, and for its landscaped setting. The building now needs
very significant expenditure on repairs, and renewal of all services and fittings. Continued use as
a single family home, rather than division into apartments or institutional use, is the best option
for preserving its character. As an unlisted building, maintaining and enhancing this character in
a sensitive way while making some alterations to the fabric for practical and design reasons is an
appropriate approach.
12Appendix 1
Photographs
13Photograph 1
The stone porch appears to be a 20th cen-
tury replacement, probably from another
building.
Photograph 2
Lime on the faces of some stones in shel-
tered areas is evidence that the rubble
facade was originally rendered.
Photograph 3
The bay window to the right and the tall
block facing south-west were added by
Richard Milne-Redhead after he bought the
property in 1877. They are architecturally
undistinguished.
Photograph 4
The house viewed from the north-west. The
Ancillary Wing is at the left.
14Photograph 5
The Ancillary Wing viewed from a first-
floor window. The stonework is cement
brush-pointed. The flat roofs of the mid 20th
century bay windows can be seen.
Photograph 6
The north-east side of the Ancillary Wing.
The keystone of the archway that is now
mostly covered by the flat-roofed porch is
dated 1868.
Photograph 7
The north-east side of the Ancillary Wing.
Part of an arch visible in the stonework and
changes in the coursing are evidence of
some rebuilding here.
Photograph 8
The north-east side of the house. The taller
block in the centre of the photograph was
rebuilt by Richard Milne-Redhead shortly
after 1877.
15Photographs 9
Outbuilding 1. A garage and store to the
north of the rear wing of the house.
Photograph 10
Outbuilding 3. A garage linked to the rear
wing of the house.
Photograph 11
Part of the cellar under the front of the
house, now used as a boiler room.
Photograph 12
The cellar below the central entrance hall.
The floor of the hall is now supported by
steel joists and corrugated iron.
16Photograph 13
The rear of the cellar, with the remains of a
fireplace.
Photographs 14
The north-eastern ground-floor Sitting
Room. The acanthus leaf and reeded cornice
is probably original. The fireplace is mid
20th century.
Photograph 15
The Staircase Hall.
Photograph 16
The fireplace in the Sewing Room was
probably installed as part of the later 19th
century alterations.
17Photograph 17
The Entrance Hall.
Photograph 18
The archway between the Entrance Hall and
the Staircase Hall.
Photograph 19
The Staircase Hall.
Photograph 20
The Study. The fireplace is mid 20th cen-
tury.
18Photograph 21
The eastern Sitting Room. The fireplace is
mid 20th century. The sideboard recess sug-
gests that this was originally a dining room.
Photograph 22
The Drawing Room. This fireplace is also
mid 20th century.
Photograph 23
The Back Hall.
Photograph 24
The rear Dining Room. This fireplace is also
mid 20th century.
19Photograph 25
The Kitchen.
Photograph 26
The Utility Room. The stone fireplace sur-
round could be early / mid 19th century.
Photograph 27
The ground-floor corridor in the Ancillary
Wing. This appears to have been created in
the mid 20th century.
Photograph 28
Store Room in the Ancillary Wing. The
ground floor appears to have been convert-
ed to domestic use in the mid 20th century
and lacks any features of significance.
20Photograph 29
First floor bedroom in the Ancillary Wing.
These servants’ bedrooms are very plain.
The fireplaces and some of the grates are
probably early/mid 19th century. this grate
is later.
Photograph 30
Bedroom 6, in the part of the house rebuilt
in the 1870s.
Photograph 31
Bedroom 5, in the part of the house rebuilt
in the 1870s.
Photograph 32
Bedroom 1, in the original part of the house.
The panelled door probably dates from the
early / mid 19th century but is relatively
plain. The fireplace surround is probably
part of the 1870s work.
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