URGENT structural work is needed to preserve the floor of an impressive country house’s Georgian music room so visitors and occupants can continue to enjoy its splendour.
Mortham Estates, trustees of Rokeby Hall, has applied to Durham County Council for listed building consent to carry out works to one of the grade I-listed building’s first floor rooms. The Palladian-style hall, near Barnard Castle, was designed by architect and owner Sir Thomas Robinson. It was built between 1725 and 1730, but has evolved over the years.
During the mid-1980s it underwent extensive restoration including roof replacement and reconstruction of stone chimneys before it was opened to the public.
However, midway through the hall’s 2018 open season, which runs from May to September, a “pronounced bounce” developed to the oak floor of the music room, which is on the first floor and acts as an ante room to one of the principal rooms of the hall. A chartered engineer specialising in conservation repair, made an assessment and found the structural beams supporting the floor had been compromised by “the insertion of services and were consequently unable to support the floor with or without the additional load from visitors”.
He gaven three options and recommended steel reinforcing beams.
Historic England is supportive of the work needed to bring the music room floor back into a safe condition.
However, the body says the proposal does not provide sufficient information to assess what impact it will have on the “special interest of the building” and asked for a delay in a decision to allow for a site visit.
Rosa Teira Paz, from Historic England, said: “The proposed introduction of steel beams below the ceiling may have a considerable visual impact on the hall underneath. This ground floor room is an important point of arrival and orientation which leads both longitudinally and transversally to some of the main rooms of the house.
“This is reflected in its oval plan, the transversal axis being emphasized with round ends and niches. The introduction of two new longitudinal beams may alter the hall’s sense of proportion and direction or just appear out of keeping and therefore be harmful to is significance.”
If the work is approved by Durham County Council then the proposed work would be carried out and completed before Easter to enabling Rokeby Park to reopen to the public in May.
