Hobarts Hall is a Grade II Listed 18th century house in a Conservation Area, with two large 19th century extensions and grounds leading on to the River Thames. It was allegedly the former ‘love nest’ of the Duke of Clarence before he was King William IV, and latterly a hotel complex.
Thorough investigation of the building's history defined the impact of proposed renovations to a level required by the local authority.
Proposals were to renovate underused spaces without detriment to the historic fabric and potentially enhancing the setting of the Listed Building and Conservation Area. Our role was to carry out a Historic Building Desk Based Assessment to consider the significance of the building in context, and determine the impact of proposed renovations to achieve Listed Building Consent.
Our study revealed a multi-layered heritage asset, including previously unrecorded features such as a mid-20th century garden shell grotto, which was recorded to EH/RCHMELevel 3. No further archaeological investigation was recommended other than in the recently discovered grotto. Listed Building Consent and planning permission were granted.
