This completed project involved sensitive conservation works to a Grade II listed Manor House near Saffron Walden. The scheme included the replacement of existing roof coverings and the removal of cement render, which was replaced with a more appropriate lime-based render. The building was upgraded with insulation, alongside careful repairs to the timber frame where required. Existing roof materials were salvaged and reused wherever possible, reducing waste while retaining the character and historic fabric of the building. Four modern windows to the front elevation were replaced with designs more closely aligned with the established pattern of windows on the façade.
The result is a considered approach of repair and improvement that enhances the building’s performance while respecting its listed status and architectural character. The property is understood to date from the seventeenth century, with significant later alterations and extension in the nineteenth century. Its layered history required an approach that balanced practical upgrades with careful conservation detailing.
‘Pevsner’ describes the house as “picturesque”, noting a plausible date of 1684 carved within the building. The completed works demonstrate a sympathetic response to the building’s historic significance, combining traditional materials, repair-led intervention and discreet improvements to long-term durability.
