Ashton Court - Citizen Space · 2013. 3. 20. · ‘Reviving the Mansion’ disAdvAntAges – Public access restricted – Would have preference for better spaces – Require some

Ashton Court ‘Reviving the Mansion’

Ashton Court Mansion is one of Bristol’s architectural and historic gems, but did you know that half of the mansion is internally derelict ?

Bristol City Council with the assistance of English Heritage has appointed a consultant team to work with it and potential stakeholders to find new and sustainable uses for Ashton Court Mansion. Over the coming six months we will be exploring what these new uses might be.

We aim to find a way to conserve and enhance the fabric of the Mansion and its immediate gardens whilst maximising public access and enjoyment.

This exhibition sets out the questions we are considering and we hope you will join in the process by giving us your comments and opinions.

Thank you!

Ashton Court ‘Reviving the Mansion’Ashton Court ‘Reviving the Mansion’

What Is Our Objective?

Our objective is to identify a combination of new uses for the Mansion that;

• Conserve its fabric to an exemplary standard• Create maximum access and economic and community benefit

for the people of Bristol and its surrounding region• Maximise access to the grants and capital funding necessary for

the project• Achieve long term financial viability• Work in harmony with the wider estate at Ashton Court• Help in the in the regeneration of Bristol and its future

prosperity


Our Future Tasks

With your help we need to identify the preferred options for the Mansion. Having done this we then need to commence the following tasks;

1. Undertake a detailed appraisal of the preferred options 2. Make certain of the costs 3. Consult with you on the developing scheme 4. Prepare a business plan 5. Reach detailed agreement with partners and stakeholders in the project 6. Determine the development structure for taking the project forward which reflects the city’s needs and the community’s aspirations 7. Prepare a project implementation plan and timetable 8. Agree the funding strategy and prepare the major grant applications


What are the Challenges?

Historic sensitivityAshton Court Mansion is Grade 1 listed as being of national historic and architectural importance. This will have a significant impact on how we can change it to meet the requirements of the new uses identified.

ArcHAeologyThe Mansion has potential significant below ground and standing archaeology which needs to be understood before we can make decisions about its alteration and development.

AccessThe Mansion has reasonably good vehicle and pedestrian access and links with public transport at the entrances to the estate. The environs of the Mansion are important and sensitive and so the provision of parking needs to be carefully considered and options explored which minimise parking near the Mansion and on the estate. Providing proper access to the Mansion for all users which meets the requirements of the Equality Act will be difficult and expensive and will have to be achieved with a minimum of impact on the Mansion’s historic fabric. At present there are no restrictions of public movement and access around the Mansion, its gardens and courtyards except to the service yard.

yeArs of under investmentParts of the mansion have been successfully brought back into use for weddings, functions, conferences and meetings. However, many areas have been little used for many years and considerable repairs, improvements and upgrading will be necessary to bring them back into use.


What are the Challenges?

difficult to re-useThe Mansion is very complex with over 160 rooms ranging from vast state rooms to tiny attic stores! Changing floor levels, stairs and narrow corridors make circulation and fire escape difficult. The historic importance of many of the rooms and their fine interiors make changes sensitive and expensive. However, many of the Mansion’s spaces are generous, well lit and ventilated and most have an exceptional aspect and views across the landscape of the estate.

exceptionAl costsThere are considerable costs in bringing the Mansion back into good repair, reinstating its fine interior spaces providing new facilities and upgrading and renewing its services. All of which make Ashton Court Mansion a very expensive project relative to the financial returns. Our preliminary estimate is that at todays prices the costs may be in the region of £15-20m.

pAying for tHe futureMaintenance of the fabric of the Mansion once it is back in good condition will need an expenditure in the region of perhaps £120-150,000 each year if future deterioration is to be avoided. In addition some potential uses may require public funding to support them or may need to be cross-funded from commercial activities.

finding tHe moneyMany sources of external funding are being squeezed due to the economic constraints we are living with today and many more projects are competing for the same resources. To successfully attract available grants and sponsorship, the project needs to demonstrate full public support, local commitment, future financial sustainability, and the engagement of stakeholders.


Ground Floor Plan

Historic Development

The Mansion & Its Historic Importance

Ashton Court Mansion is a Grade I listedbuilding with a history dating back hundreds of years. The earliest surviving part of the house dates from the 14th century, though major extensions and alterations were made throughout the 16th to 20th centuries. For 400 years the house was owned by the Smyth family but it was acquired by Bristol City Council in the 1950s who gradually converted the eastern end into rooms for hospitality events, estate offices and a café for visitors to the park. These functions still continue today, though much of the building remains unused and in a very poor condition.

C14

C15/16

C16th

Late C16th / Early C17th

1632-1633

1800-10

Early C19th

1884-85

1984

Late C20th


Historic Significance

Ground Floor Plan

How Much Can We Adapt the Mansion?

1. High significance - Very limited change possible – change must not have any visual impact

2. Medium Significance - Some controlled change possible – change must have limited visual impact

3. Low significance - Significant change possible – change may have a visual impact.

High - very limited change

Medium - some controlled change

Low - sensitive change

Neutral - possible demolition

Intrusive - Removal Benefical


First Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

Ground Floor Plan

KEY

Disabled access possible without significant alteration

Disabled access with alteration

Disabled access with major alteration

Existing entrance with level access

Possible entrance with level access

Passenger lift

Platform Lift

Ground Floor Plan

First Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

Potential Access for All Users


Outside the Mansion – Its Gardens & Courtyard Spaces


disAdvAntAges – The Mansion is not ideal for modern museum curatorial standards – only some spaces are suitable

– Will be likely to need annual revenue support

– Would need considerable improvement

– Needs to raise significant capital funding as grants

Blakesley Hall museumtudor House museum

AdvAntAges –Compatibility with the Mansion history –Attractive to a number of grant agencies if viable –Could improve the city’s visitor profile –Could be used and marketed in conjunction with the wider estate and other venues in the city such as Blaise Castle –Compatible with other emerging options –Meets the aspiration for community access and enjoyment and is attractive to volunteers

Emerging Use Options

A plAce for enjoying HeritAge & culture

Ashton Court Mansion and its estate and their importance in Bristol’s history offer an outstanding story. The Mansion is an excellent place to tell these stories and has great potential to become a focus for community heritage activities, helping to attract visitors to the city and wider region. Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery has items in its collection which come from Ashton Court and could be returned. There are a number of other collections held locally which could be presented at Ashton Court either as a formal museum, or a ‘living history’ centre or as a more broadly based ‘heritage asset’ where visitors access the Mansion alongside other users.

A ‘heritage based’ visitor attraction would need to include education spaces, retail spaces and a refreshment space or café, each of which could be shared with other uses.

Similarly, the Mansion could offer facilities for both the visual and preforming

arts.


disAdvAntAges – Public access restricted – Would have preference for better spaces

– Require some area of private garden

vivat Holiday cottages vivat Holiday cottages

AdvAntAges – Strong identifiable demand and market

– High levels of income after costs – Established and interested operators – Some public access possible – Supports other Mansion uses – Significant contributions to long term maintenance costs

– Year-round market potential – Could involve organisations who have established relationship to grant agencies and the ability to provide external match funding


A plAce for HolidAys And AccommodAtion for visitors & users

Bristol and its region have much to offer visitors and are accessible to a number of major tourist centres and destinations. The Mansion’s architecture, gardens and heritage interest could provide an excellent backdrop to high quality holiday and visitor residential use. Our initial research has suggested that the Mansion has potential to provide a small number of high value self-catering holiday apartments and that there is both a strong market and a significant potential demand from other compatible uses for the Mansion such as conference delegate accommodation. Incoming visitors spend locally supporting both the economy and employment. Conference organisers, leisure learning participants and holidaymakers are increasingly discerning and to sustain high levels of income the accommodation needs to have character and interest. The Mansion can offer both.

Any accommodation would need to have privacy and if at all possible some private allocated external space or garden.


disAdvAntAges – Residential use may conflict with other users

– More difficult to attract grant aid funds

– 24 hr access required and must be maintained during events in the estate

– May require high levels of building alteration, fire proofing, escape and serving

new mills Wotten-under edge Kingsweston Brewhouse

AdvAntAges – Relatively low on-going management and regular income – possibly significant

– Residential use could help improve security

– Residential use could be located on less accessible upper floors

– Workspace use could be located in the peripheral buildings and upper floors

– Some workspace uses, such as artists or crafts studios, could be part of the visitor interest to the Mansion.

– Some workspace use such as incubator units would be part of training, educational or conference focus for the Mansion.


A plAce for living And WorKing

Much of Ashton Court Mansion could be used for attractive residential accommodation or as interesting places to work.

There is a good local demand for interesting residential property to rent.

There is also good location demand for a wide range of workspaces from commercial offices to design studios, craft/artist studios and workspaces, possibly in association with Bristol’s universities and local colleges. Some of these uses as well as being working spaces could attract visitors in their own right – crafts studios for example.

These uses might be important as they could provide users for parts of the Mansion not suitable for public access and could provide important and regular core income.


disAdvAntAges – Needs active and energetic management, marketing and promotion by a dedicated team

– Costs might have to include significant works in the wider grounds and park as well as to boundary and access roads

– Traffic management would be essential

– Would have to be compatible with the Council’s wider management and plans for the estate

Highcliffe castle, dorset compton verney, Warwickshire

AdvAntAges – Major asset to the city – Wonderful setting – Potential to attract visitors – Higher potential for outdoor events and activities

– Will enhance other uses in the Mansion

– Will attract a wide range of people from all parts of the community

– Potential for direct and indirect employment generation

– Provides training opportunities – Could generate significant revenue – High levels of public accessibility will assist in attracting grants


A plAce for relAxAtion, leisure And Amenity

Ashton Court Mansion, its gardens and the wider estate are a wonderful location and environment. Close to the heart of the city they are easily accessible both locally and from the wider region. The Mansion and estate could significantly improve their role as the ‘show piece’ of the city and countryside around.

The Mansion’s gardens maintained and enhanced with the wider estate beyond are already an attraction but could be even better as well as being a stunning venue for events and functions; weddings; open air theatre and concerts, sculpture exhibitions and much more.

The estate already offers the opportunity for holding major festivals and events such as concerts, county fairs, and balloon festivals supporting events, jamborees and many more and the Mansion could both support these events and draw income from them.

These activities will share the same requirements for refreshments, sanitary facilities and parking which can be accommodated in and around the Mansion and its buildings.


disAdvAntAges – Requires organisational, marketing and managers

– Higher operating costs and risks

cardiff castle dillington House

AdvAntAges – Demonstrable need and demand – Compatible with the building – Provides public access – Strong links with the cultural and educational life of City

– Could provide substantial income through room rentals and charges

– Use reinforces viability of other uses


A plAce for leArning, trAining, conference And meetings

Ashton Court Mansion offers a wide range of spaces ideal for learning, training, conferences and meetings. These could range from leisure learning programmes to professional development training courses or business and special interest conferences. The same spaces could also be shared with the University of the West of England, particularly the Bower Ashton campus immediately next door. There is strong market for these activities through a wide range of providers. The Mansion’s historic interest, its attractive architecture and environment, its gardens and park combined with easy access and parking gives it the potential to be a very popular venue.

Learning, training and meeting facilities would fit well with the heritage, event and functions and catering opportunities the Mansion offer.

The activity could be backed up with good quality bedroom facilities on the Mansion’s upper floors and outbuildings to provide a residential conference centre.


disAdvAntAges – Convincing funders to assist towards conservation deficit

– Major impact on site – Restriction of public access to service yard

– Impact on historic fabric

ludlow food centre shropshire mills discovery centre

AdvAntAges – Good employment opportunities – Strengthens local visitor service industry

– Brings in external funding – Creates destination market – Year round activities – External investors provide matched funding

– Existing infrastructure to allow easy development

Emerging Use OptionsA plAce to enjoy eAting And refresHmentThe Ashton Court Mansion and the wider estate provide a market for a wide range of opportunities for eating and refreshment. They already include:- Ice Cream and Cold Drinks- Picnic Boxes- Sandwiches and Snacks- Tea Room or Café- Fine Dining- Banquets and Celebrations- Conference Catering

These opportunities can be offered from a range of locations on the site, perhaps:- A picnic centre in The Stable- A banqueting facility in the Music Room- A formal restaurant in the North West Wing- A country food market in the Stable Yard

Whichever opportunities are taken they will need to be carefully coordinated, managed and marketed. High quality will be essential. Imaginatively, skilfully and professionally managed, the opportunity for food and refreshments should make the Mansion a destination in its own right.


PrecedentsDuring initial stages of the appraisal for Ashton Court Mansion we have studied a number of completed projects involving similar buildings, problems and uses to learn from their success and mistakes. Some of these projects are illustrated below.

Wollaton Hall Nottinghamshire

Wollaton Hall and Park have been open to the public since their acquisition by Nottingham City Council in the 1930’s. Entrance to the Hall which houses a large Museum is free but there is a charge for car parking which generates significant revenue. Guided tours to the Hall are also charged for.

Wentworth Castle Yorkshire

Wentworth Castle and gardens were opened to the public for the first time in 2007 after a £17 million project to restore them. Particularly impressive is the New Visitor Centre located in a converted range of old barns, which provides refreshment, sanitary and retail facilities and is also linked to a converted chapel to provide a venue for functions and events, including weddings. The project was undertaken by a Trust in

The Hall’s State Rooms can be visited but are also extensively used for functions and events for which charges are made. Open air concerts and theatrical performances are held in the Park using the Hall as a back drop – even the most recent Batman film was set there! The adjacent stable block and estate buildings house a large refreshment facility, a shop, an Art Gallery and an Industrial Museum. Although the Hall’s income is substantial it has to be heavily subsidized by the City Council to allow free access.

partnership with the local authority. It has attracted visitor numbers 20% higher than anticipated and has had a significant beneficial impact on the local economy. Visitors to the gardens pay entrance charges whilst those just visiting the Estate as an amenity pay a small car parking charge. Other income is generated from events and functions and from the shop and restaurant run by the Trust.


©lloydi

Brewery Arts Gloucestershire

Brewery Arts is an Arts and Fine Crafts Centre house in a converted C19 brewery building. Although operating for over 20 years it has recently undergone a major £2.5 million upgrade to create a new gallery, much improved café and shop and to facilitate full access for disabled users. Of particular interest are the Centre’s sixteen craft studios/workshops which are let to local artists and craftsmen and, as well as providing a focus for visitor interest, provide substantial income for the

Lydiard Park Wiltshire

Lydiard Park is on the outskirts of Swindon but provides an important leisure amenity for the Town. The Mansion itself has a Museum and the State Rooms are also used for conference and functions, supported by a privately operated modern conference and residential wing.

Trust; enough to allow the gallery to be open at no charge. Also an important revenue generating activity is the popular arts and crafts focused leisure learning classes. The Café specialises in good quality home-made food with locally sourced organic ingredients. Brewery Arts is run by a small project specific Charitable Trust with very little revenue subsidy.

Lydiard Park has recently had a major investment of over £6 million to provide new educational and visitor facilities, to improve the wider estates use for sporting, leisure activities and a children’s play area. The Park is run by the local authority but charges for entrance


Dillington House Somerset

Dillington House near Ilminster about 12 miles from Taunton is run as a residential leisure learning and conference centre by Somerset County Council. Its gardens are open to the public and the main house is available to visitors when not in use or by arrangement. The leisure learning uses are predominantly at weekends and in the summer months whilst the conferencing and training uses are predominantly during the week and in the autumn and winter periods, meaning Dillington achieves high levels of occupancy and hence is sustainable and supported by a diverse market.

Highcliffe Castle Dorset

Highcliffe Castle is a Grade 1 listed C18 country house set in 14 acres of gardens on the cliffs above Christchurch Bay. It was ravaged by fire in the 1960’s and then spent several decades falling into complete dereliction before being acquired by the Borough Council in the mid-1980’s. With limited resources the Council brought the main external fabric of the Castle back into good repair through a programme of restoration works over a fifteen year period but the interior of the Castle remained derelict.

Despite this some limited uses began, including the establishment of a seasonal temporary exhibition venue and a function venue which became popular

The standards of provision including catering are maintained at a high level with quality of offer being part of its appeal. The County Council has achieved a high quality result without the taint of ‘municipality’ that can limit the success of local authority run venues and activities.

for weddings. When the Council was able to consider starting on the interior its brief required the architects to retain its ‘derelict’ character which feedback from users had indicated was a strong part of its interest and attraction. So the interior spaces completed to date still have the fire damaged panelling, exposed brickwork and masonry, no restored plasterwork ceilings just fragments and are undecorated but now have discreet heating and services and sanitary and catering facilities. The Castle has become the most popular wedding venue in Dorset doing over 400 weddings in 2012 with nearly 50 receptions and functions!


Towards A Strategy

No single user capable of taking on the Mansion and meeting the objectives has been identified in our search to date.

Our consultations are however beginning to identify a range of potential users and uses for parts of the Mansion that could form the nucleus of an exciting mixed use scheme for the Mansion reinforcing its strengths through focusing on its assets and sharing common facilities to build sustainability.

One of our tasks will be to see how these uses could work together, identifying and comparing the options for how they might fit to create the optimum solution. They might combine things we already do, but better, with new uses;

• Public Rooms – as a venue for special events, functions and celebrations

• Training and Conferences – highly specified spaces to attract a wide market

• Formal Learning – bringing young people in education to the Mansion

• Leisure Learning – also highly specified to attract a wide market

• Holiday & Residential Accommodation – spaces for people to stay when they are using the Mansion for work or leisure

• Heritage Attraction – creating opportunities for the public to enjoy the heritage of the Mansion alongside its other uses

• Refreshments – provided for the full range of uses as well as visitors to the estate

• Secondary Revenue Generators – using surplus space for workspace and offices

Each of these may involve partner organisations and we will need to create a development structure in which they can all work together to achieve the objectives we have for the Mansion.


The Next Steps

In exploring the options for the future of Ashton Court Mansion, we would very much like your views. We want to give the Mansion a future that everyone supports and create the maximum benefit given the constraints on resources.

Please let us have your completed questionnaires and if you have any queries please do not hesitate to speak to us.

Above all if there are opportunities you think we have missed please note them on your questionnaire and let us know.

As our work progresses we will be updating this exhibition - so come back again to see how the future of the Mansion is shaping up!

For more information visit www.bristol.gov.uk/acmfuture

Thank you!

Documents

Ashton Court - Citizen Space · 2013. 3. 20. · ‘Reviving the Mansion’ disAdvAntAges – Public access restricted – Would have preference for better spaces – Require some