Kentchurch Estate in Herefordshire has been owned by a single family for nearly a thousand years. The 2,000 hectare estate includes the Grade I-listed Kentchurch Court, which is set within Grade II*-listed park and gardens.
When our client became the latest generation to take over the estate, he was keen to develop a new vision for its management and put it on a sustainable financial footing for the future.
The Brief
The key part of our client’s vision was to make the most of the estate’s tourism potential.
“Kentchurch is a traditional rural estate in a predominantly rural area. A leisure and tourism approach would allow us to draw people towards the landscape and the history of the area, as well as its peace and seclusion.”
Communion Client
Our client could see the opportunities to create architecturally-led, high-value holiday accommodation in some of the estate’s significant buildings. As well as providing an ongoing revenue stream for the estate, the venture would also help support the local community, including its local pub.
Alongside the tourism opportunities, our client wanted to provide suitable accommodation that could be let on an assured shorthold tenancy basis to provide further revenue.
He invited Communion Architects to undertake a strategic review of the estate’s land and built assets to understand the opportunities in its portfolio, in particular ways to unlock funding for the projects his vision required.
The Strategy
Working with our client, the Estate Manager, and DK Planning & Development, we undertook a review of the estate’s lands which identified four categories of land and built assets.
Some of the estate’s land and properties had immediate value on the open market.
Other land and properties had immediate value but would have even more value if they had planning permissions attached to them. We recommended securing the relevant permissions on each parcel of land and then releasing it for sale.
The third category was properties that could be modernised and upgraded so they could be rented on an assured shorthold tenancy basis.
The final category was the significant buildings with the most potential for creating high-value holiday accommodation.
The sale of the first two categories of property would help to realise the funds required to execute the work needed for the second two categories.
The Execution
We worked with our client to secure the relevant permissions on the relevant properties and parcels of land so they would realise maximum value on the open market.
We have also undertaken the transformation of the first three of the properties selected for holiday accommodation.
The first of these, Lower Lodge Gatehouse, is a landmark property on the estate but is impractical for day-to-day living. It is built across the main access drive to the estate and is regularly flooded due to a nearby stream. Transforming it into a distinctive, flood-resilient holiday home has given the building a new lease of life.
Kentchurch Court is an ancestral home but is not suitable for modern family life. However, it had huge potential as a house for large reunions and multi-generational gatherings. Our work has created the large kitchen and living space the property needed to maximise this potential.
Upper Lodge is a sister property to Lower Lodge Gatehouse. We have transformed this ancient barn building into a comfortable and stylish holiday retreat. Read the Lower Lodge Gatehouse project story.
In all cases, we took a sensitive approach using the guiding principles of exceptional, rural and valuable. Our design strategy was led by our client, and has a ‘New English’ sensibility with timeless design elements reflective of an ancestral family home.
“We are probably a number of years ahead of other properties of a similar style. We’ve gone over and above in terms of the heating systems, energy efficiency and general design. The result is we are confident that people are going to have a very comfortable stay.”
Communion Client
The Outcome
Our work has helped and is helping to keep Kentchurch Estate on a sustainable financial footing. By starting to transform some of the estate’s most significant buildings into high-value holiday accommodation we have helped secure their contribution to the local and wider cultural landscape for the long term. They are also helping to give the estate a distinctive identity for the 21st century, allowing our client to leave his mark as the latest generation to be custodians of the estate.
You can find out more about the Kentchurch Estate on the Kentchurch Estate website.
