Built Heritage Award Scheme 2007/08

Conservation is an active process that involves the preservation and enhancement of: landscapes; settlements; wildlife habitats; and our historic and cultural heritage. South Cambridgeshire District Council has adopted a positive and proactive approach to conservation by developing detailed design guidance and strategies; implementing statutory controls; and managing partnership enhancement initiatives. In order to recognise the achievements of our partners in conservation, the Council has instigated an award scheme, the aims of which are to foster the protection, celebration and public enjoyment of the district's diverse, fragile and evolving heritage resource.

The built heritage conservation award scheme has been run for a number of years on a bi-annual basis. The purpose of the scheme is to recognise and reward best practice examples of building conservation, ranging from excellence in craftsmanship to innovative re-use of historic buildings and appropriate modern interventions in historic environments.

Winners were chosen from across the district including Impington Mill, Rayners Dovecote in Foxton, the Bakehouse in Haslingfield and Mr Gray for his traditional thatching maintaining the thatching traditions of the district. They each received a prize-winners certificate presented by Chairman of the council, Cllr Jim Stewart.

Historic Building Restoration

Award winner - Impington Mill
An early 19th century octagonal smock mill with a three-storey tarred brick base supporting a two-storey white painted weatherboarded, timber framed upper part. It has an cone-domed cap turned into the wind by an eight-bladed fantail. Parts remain of the original two pairs of stones and the machinery to drive the stones is complete. In the late 19th century a gas engine was installed in a nearby outbuilding and part of the auxiliary drive survives attached to the external brickwork. The sails and stocks had been removed but remnants of the stocks and parts of the mechanism of the patent sails were found in the garden.
Since purchasing the mill and mill house a few years ago, the owners have carried out extensive repairs to the external fabric and machinery including repairs to the cap and re-tarring the brickwork. In 2006 new stocks were raised using traditional methods and in 2007 the sails were added.

Highly commended - St Michael and All Angels in Abington Pigotts, St Peter and St Paul in Bassingbourn and St Andrew and St Mary's in Grantchester

Contemporary Design Sympathetic to the Historic Environment

Award winner - The Ark, 40 High Street in Little Abington
An adaptation and extension of an unlisted building within the conservation area and in close proximity to a number of listed buildings. The Ark has been part converted to an artist's studio by the current owners. Services and ancillary rooms have been kept to one end of the building so that the majority of the space can be used as a live/work area. Designed to make the most of the natural light, the gabled extension incorporates glazing to the front and sides and a large glazed opening in the main elevation leads into the open plan living area. The studio is reached from a glass walkway within the double height dining area.

Highly commended - Orchard Farm in Toft and The Maltings in Linton

Environmentally Sustainable Development Sympathetic to the Historic Environment

Award winner - "The Shed" at St John's Farm in Horningsea
The Shed is an adaptation and reconstruction of a former unlisted agricultural building adjacent to a grade II listed barn. Built within the footprint of the original outbuilding and in a similar form, it is architecturally sensitive to the historic setting and complements the listed building. Designed with a green agenda the building is constructed from sustainable materials including specially sourced oak and stained softwood cladding and natural insulation. Space heating and hot water are generated by a wood pellet boiler.

Specialist Craft Skills
Award winner - Mr Grey for Traditional longstraw thatching maintaining the thatching traditions of the district

Highly commended - A J Rogers for ironworks chimney in Bassingbourn

Local Initiative Resulting in the Restoration of Building of Local Interest and Enhancement of the Historic Environment

Award winner - Rayners Dovecote in Foxton
An 18th century red brick dovecote with a single pedestrian door on the southwest elevation and a plaque dated 1766 above. Unfortunately none of the nesting boxes have survived.
As part of a scheme to enhance the area and provide greater public access to the meadow, the dovecote was restored and the roof reinstated to match the old photographs (complete with traditional oak framing). Extensive repairs were carried out to the brickwork using a new matching brick and lime mortar and the walls were raised slightly to carry the new roof. A new door was fitted and the timber louver on the southeast elevation reinstated. Specialist conservators repaired the date plaque.
South Cambridgeshire District Council awarded an historic building grant of £8600 towards the project.

Rescue of a Building of Local Historic Interest at Risk of Demolition

Award winner - Bakehouse in Haslingfield
Formerly located in the garden of an unlisted house in the village, the mid-late 19th century bakehouse and privy were dismantled and re-erected in Well House Meadow by The Friends of Haslingfield Bakehouse Organising Committee to avoid loss when their original site was redeveloped. Once relatively common, these small ancillary buildings are becoming increasingly rare and the Haslingfield buildings are particularly good examples.
Constructed from bricks and clay lump (unfired earth and straw blocks), both buildings were easily dismantled and re-erected. Bricks were numbered so that reconstruction of the chimney and bread oven could be exactly replicated and new clay lumps were made on site by the villagers to replace those that could not be salvaged. The bake house has been restored to working order and bread is once more baked in the traditional way on open days.
South Cambridgeshire District Council awarded an historic building grant of £3500 towards the project.

Cllr Nick Wright, portfolio holder for planning services, said,

South Cambridgeshire has a unique built heritage with many of the 101 villages boasting beautiful architecture and design. These awards celebrate those who have worked hard to protect, restore and conserve the buildings in our district. Well done to all the deserved winners.

For more information, email conservation@scambs.gov.uk.