HISTORIC LANDSCAPE COOMBE HOUSE LYTCHETT MINSTER

HISTORIC LANDSCAPE
New design in the context of a historic setting is an exciting challenge, allowing both modern and traditional
design motifs to be used. Integrating new design having understood the history of the site is an important
starting point. New design and stylistic approaches are seen as important new additions to a landscape,
providing they are appropriately located and not in conflict with the prime setting of the historic site.
Quality in materials is usually essential, to ensure that we are building gardens and landscapes worthy of
their setting. Similarly, a close attention to design detailing, often utilising traditional methods in a modern
context, allows new and old to sit comfortably together and provide another era in the history of the site.
Illman Young are specialists in the design and detailing of hard landscape works in particular, and enjoy the
challenge that the juxtaposition that old and new brings.
STOWE SCHOOL
ILLMAN YOUNG LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Festival House : Jessop Avenue : Cheltenham : GL50 3SH
t. +44 1242 521 480 : www.illman-young.com
COOMBE HOUSE
TRACY PARK
LYTCHETT
MINSTER SCHOOL
HISTORIC LANDSCAPE
Combe House is a Grade 1 listed building set
within its original ornamental garden and
parkland setting, and is currently used as a
hotel.
Plans by the tenant to provide additional
accommodation through conversions and
new development both within the pleasure
grounds, and adjacent to the walled garden
and stables required the preparation of a
historic assessment by English Heritage.
• Site not a registered park, but the
assessment researched and identified
the development phases and extent of
designed landscape. It’s ultimate purpose
was to consider the impact of the
proposed development on the landscape
and potential effect on the unspoilt
nature of the setting of the listed building.
• An archive of estate papers was found on
site, which along with the family archive
and diaries supplemented the extensive
site survey work undertaken.
• Key development periods also confirmed
by a comprehensive tree survey; some
trees dated back to the seventeenth
century.
• Report outcome showed how little the
estate had changed since its heyday, but
how much detail had been lost through
natural decline and lack of management exacerbated by inappropriate replanting.
• The design of the proposed development
was therefore guided in a careful and
sensitive manner, to contribute to the
regeneration of parts of the pleasure
grounds, and more importantly, to bring
parts of the estate back into beneficial
use.
Key Facts:
- Client:
- Scope:
- Location:
Coombe House Hotel
Work stages C-L
Devon
COOMBE HOUSE
ILLMAN YOUNG LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Festival House : Jessop Avenue : Cheltenham : GL50 3SH
t. +44 1242 521 480 : www.illman-young.com
HISTORIC LANDSCAPE
Although Tracy Park was a large designed
estate in its heyday, the damage caused to
the character of the park by the installation
of two golf courses was so fundamental that
it had not been considered for listing.
A change in ownership brought a new
approach. The new owner wished to develop
the hotel side of the business; to restore the
house, its outbuildings and setting to a high
quality, appropriate to the house, and to add
substantial modern facilities
• Illman Young were initially engaged
to undertake Historic Assessment and
Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment.
• The structure of the park and the majority
of its historic features remained - including
the majority of the parkland trees.
• Park locally important and extensive,
though much of the detail had been lost,
and surviving features were in poor repair.
• New development located within the
existing car park, away from the historic
core of the site. This allowed restoration
of some of the landscape features.
• The design aspect therefore centred
around:
- Restoring some of the historic features
- Minimising the impact of development
- Appropriate designs and planting - New design work for the new buildings.
• This allowed a blend of old with very
modern design, utilising traditional plants
and motifs in a modern way.
Key Facts:
- Client:
- Scope:
- Location: ILLMAN YOUNG LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Festival House : Jessop Avenue : Cheltenham : GL50 3SH
t. +44 1242 521 480 : www.illman-young.com
Tracy Park Golf and Country
Hotel
Work stages C-L
Wick, near Bath
TRACY PARK
HISTORIC LANDSCAPE
Stowe School is an independent school sited
in rural Buckinghamshire, a series of Grade 1
listed buildings set within a Registered Grade
I Park and Garden. Whilst the National Trust
owns much of the parkland and the gardens,
a separate trust leases the buildings and
remaining grounds to the school.
The challenge for the school and the Trusts
is to preserve, restore and respect the
historic significance and fabric of Stowe,
whilst managing and meeting the needs of
a modern school. The school’s long term
masterplan is currently being reviewed to
meet this challenge.
• Parking study and review of historic fabric
referenced to guide appropriate design
and management solutions.
• Designs to be congruent with the
Conservation Management Plan and the
aspirations of the school.
• Also to take account of the considerable
number of historic trees.
• Illman Young’s current involvement is
to develop the landscape aspects of the
various plans - including plaza spaces,
building settings, parking and car parks.
• Parking is a particular issue, infront of the
historic building facades.
• Areas of the site considered thus far
include:
- Parking along the entrance avenue
- Setting for the refurbished Science Block
- Landscaping to the new Music School
- Landscaping to the Roxburgh Theatre
- Woodland car park
Key Facts:
- Client: Stowe School
- Architects: Roberts Limbrick
Squires and Brown
- Arboricultural
Consultant: Patrick Stileman
- Conservation
Consultant: Dr Sarah Rutherford
STOWE SCHOOL
ILLMAN YOUNG LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Festival House : Jessop Avenue : Cheltenham : GL50 3SH
t. +44 1242 521 480 : www.illman-young.com
HISTORIC LANDSCAPE
Lytchett Minster school occupies a Grade II*
listed building within a designed landscape
at Lytchett Minster, near Poole in Dorset.
Following a fire, a significant part of its
accommodation consisted of temporary
buildings and the County Council therefore
wished to build new facilities to replace
those lost and to provide for the schools’
wider curriculum needs - giving appropriate
regard to the historic setting.
• Illman Young engaged to research the
history of the site, and to provide an
evaluation of the designed landscape
to ensure that the new development
respected the historic environment
• Also to provide a set of constraints
within which new development could be
accommodated.
• It was not intended to be a full restoration
plan but to provide sufficient information
to allow English Heritage to evaluate the
school’s development proposals in the
context of its historic setting.
• Following the initial historic landscape
report, we provided a landscape
masterplan and full working drawings for
the development and were involved in
construction on site.
Key Facts:
- Location : - Scope : - Client : - Architect :
- Landscape
Value : ILLMAN YOUNG LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Festival House : Jessop Avenue : Cheltenham : GL50 3SH
t. +44 1242 521 480 : www.illman-young.com
Lytchett Minster
Historic Landscape assessment
Work stages C-L
Dorset County Council
cube_design
£450K
LYTCHETT MINSTER SCHOOL