Grade II Listed Building RenovationBringing Built Heritage Back from the Brink
Client: Confidential
Services: Preliminary Ecological Appraisal, (Bats), Barn Owl Survey and Barn Owl Mitigation
Sector: Listed Heritage
Location: Lancashire, UK
Scheme Overview:
Before the building renovation, Bath lodge was originally built in the early to mid-18th Century for the Earls of Derby. It is constructed from red brick with a stone slate roof and has been described as “a most unusual building in the Georgian ‘Gothic’ style”. The neglected state of the Grade II* listed property had resulted in its inclusion on the Buildings at Risk Register and required significant renovation work with the new owners wishing to restore the lodge as a private residence.
Scope of Works and Solution:
It is believed that this beautiful and remote hunting lodge located in Ormskirk, Lancashire had stood empty since the Second World War and now in the 21st Century much of the building was covered in dense ivy and devoid of its original slate roof covering. Internally the derelict shell of the property offered the ideal conditions for nesting barn owls which was confirmed by our ecologists who are licensed by Natural England to undertake barn owl surveys. We then worked closely with the clients architect and together were able to make recommendations for the mitigation of the barn owls without compromising the sensitivity of the buildings listed status.
Benefits:
The site successfully obtained planning permission with mitigation of the barn owl secured as a condition. This allowed the client to commence with repairs and renovation of the historic lodge. The renovation was so hugely important in bringing Bath Lodge back from the brink that it featured in the popular Channel 4 show ‘Restoration Man’ and attained the prestigious Lancashire Design Award in acknowledgement of its quality and design.