Country House Restoration, Lincolnshire

Revesby Abbey in Lincolnshire, is a Grade I listed country house designed by the Scottish architect William Burn. It is one of the finest neo-Jacobean houses in the country.

Built in 1844 and abandoned during the 1960s, the house has regularly featured on various Buildings At Risk Registers; so serious did the decay become that English Heritage intervened, removing floors, panelling and fittings in a desperate attempt to stop the dry rot rapidly consuming the structure and fabric. During the early 2000s the house, stable block and a few surrounding acres were purchased at auction by a local couple who have devoted their lives to halting the decline.

We were engaged to liaise with the Local Authority and English Heritage, and to prepare drawings and details to obtain consent for emergency repairs, the conversion of the stable block to form living accommodation and masterplanning a new approach drive through the listed parkland.

Our expert knowledge of the architect William Burn and his country house commissions meant we were able to approach the proposed work in a logical and respectful way, prioritising repairs and equating intervention against significance. Once consent was granted, the owner (a master craftsman) repaired roofs and reinstated floors and staircases within the main house. The stable block and brewhouse have been sensitively re-roofed and the gardens have been cleared to reveal the original layout and landscaping features.