Landmark Trust

The Landmark Trust

Formation	1965
Legal status	Building conservation and preservation charity
Headquarters	Shottesbrooke, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Region served	Predominantly UK
Director	Dr Anna Keay
Website	www.landmarktrust.org.uk

The Landmark Trust is a British building conservation charity, founded in 1965 by Sir John and Lady Smith, that rescues buildings of historic interest or architectural merit and then makes them available for holiday rental. The Trust's headquarters is at Shottesbrooke in Berkshire.

Most Trust properties are in England, Scotland and Wales. Several are on Lundy Island off the coast of north Devon, operated under lease from the National Trust. In continental Europe there are Landmark sites in Belgium, France and Italy. Five properties are in the United States — all in Vermont — one of which, Naulakha, was the home of Rudyard Kipling in the 1890s.

The Trust is a charity registered in England & Wales^[1] and in Scotland.^[2] The American sites are owned by an independent sister charity, Landmark Trust USA. There is also an Irish Landmark Trust.^[3]

Those who rent "Landmarks" provide a source of funds to support restoration costs and building maintenance. The first rentals were in 1967 when six properties were available.^[4] In 2015 the Trust had 196 properties available.^[5] Landmark sites include forts, farmhouses, manor houses, mills, cottages, castles, gatehouses, follies and towers and represent historic periods from medieval to the 20th century.

Governance and Administration

The Trust employs a 400-strong workforce headed by a Director.^[6] Dr Anna Keay was appointed Director in 2012,^[7] succeeding Peter Pearce (1995–2012) and Robin Evans FRICS (1986–1995).

The work of the Trust is overseen by a Board of Trustees chaired by Neil Mendoza.^[8]

HRH Prince Charles became Patron of the Landmark Trust in 1995.

A group of high profile supporters act as "Ambassadors" for the Trust, helping to raise awareness of the Trust's role in rescuing and preserving remarkable buildings. As at March 2017^[9] these were: David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon; George Clarke; Nicholas Coleridge CBE; Sir Simon Jenkins; Griff Rhys Jones; and Natascha McElhone.

In media

The Gothic Temple at Stowe was filmed in March 1999 as the Scottish Chapel in the Bond movie "The World is Not Enough".^[10]

In May 2015 five life-sized sculptures by Sir Antony Gormley, titled Land, were placed near the centre of the UK and at four compass points, in a commission by the Landmark Trust to celebrate its 50th anniversary. They were at Lowsonford (Warwickshire), Lundy (Bristol Channel), Clavell Tower (Dorset), Saddell Bay (Mull of Kintyre), and the Martello Tower (Aldeburgh, Suffolk).^[11]

The work of the Trust was the subject of a six-part Channel 4 television documentary, Restoring Britain's Landmarks, first broadcast in October 2015.^[12]

Four Channel 4 programmes, Great British Buildings: Restoration of the Year, transmitted from 23 March 2017, were co-hosted by Landmark Trust Director Dr Anna Keay and Kevin McCloud. Buildings featured included Belmont.

Properties

The following lists aim to be complete and illustrate both the variety of structures and geographical spread of the trust. In the Trust's early years, prior to the incorporation of the charity, properties were often bought with the support of the Manifold Trust. The Trust's current portfolio also includes properties bequeathed to the Trust, leased, or operated through a management agreement on behalf of other owners. Dates of acquisition and first lettings are shown where available from Landmark Trust or other published sources; time differences between dates often reflect previous/current ownership and the extent of restoration required.

Channel Islands

Fort Clonque, Alderney

• Fort Clonque, Alderney
• Nicolle Tower, St Clement, Jersey

England

Lundy

The Landmark Trust manages the Island of Lundy in the Bristol Channel on behalf of the National Trust, and operates a number of holiday cottages there. The properties managed by the Trust include:

• The Barn
• Bramble Villa East
• Bramble Villa West
• Castle and Keep Cottages
• Government House
• Hanmers
• Millcombe House
• The Old House
• The Old Light
• The Old School
• The Quarters
• Radio Room
• St John's
• Square Cottage
• Stoneycroft
• Tibbets

• 
  Jetty and harbour, Lundy
• 
  The Old Light, Lundy
• 
  St.Helena's Church, Lundy

London and South East England

Name	Image	Town	County	Acquired	Opened for Lets	Notes
43 and 45a Cloth Fair		Smithfield	London EC1	1981		Two properties. 43 is the former home of the late Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman.
Fox Hall		Charlton	West Sussex	1983
Goddards		Abinger Common	Surrey	1991	1997	Architect: Edwin Lutyens 1898–1900, 1910
Gothic Temple		Stowe	Buckinghamshire	1970	1977
The Grange		Ramsgate	Kent	1997	2006	Architect: Augustus Pugin
Georgian House, Hampton Court Palace		East Molesey	Surrey	1993	1993	Built as a kitchen, later housing Foreman of the Gardens and Clerk of Works.[13]
Hole Cottage		Cowden	Kent	1969	1970
Laughton Place		near Lewes	East Sussex	1978
Luttrell's Tower		Eaglehurst, near Southampton	Hampshire	1968	1968
Obriss Farm		near Westerham	Kent	1990	1996
The Old Parsonage		Iffley, Oxford	Oxfordshire	1997
Oxenford Gatehouse		Elstead	Surrey	2009	2010
Princelet Street		Spitalfields	London E1	2004	2005
The Prospect Tower		Belmont Park, Faversham	Kent	1990	1992
St Edward's Presbytery		Ramsgate	Kent	2010	2015
Sackville House		East Grinstead	West Sussex	1995	1997	Bequeathed by Ursula Honess, grand-daughter of Sir Aston Webb.[14]
The Steward's House		Oxford	Oxfordshire	1985	1986
Wilmington Priory		near Eastbourne	East Sussex	1999	2000	Leased from Sussex Archaeological Society who operated it as a museum until 1992. Appeal launched for restoration and renovation in 1995/6.[15]

East of England

Name	Image	Town	County	Acquired	Opened for Lets	Notes
The Ancient House		Clare	Suffolk	1999		Heritage Lottery Fund grant £82,200 towards restoration, 1997[16]
Appleton Water Tower		Sandringham	Norfolk	1976	1977
Cavendish Hall		Cavendish	Suffolk	2010	2010
Freston Tower		Ipswich	Suffolk	2001	2005
Houghton West Lodge		Houghton	Norfolk	1990	1996
Keeper's Cottage		Shuttleworth	Bedfordshire	2004	2007
Lynch Lodge		Alwalton, near Peterborough	Cambridgeshire	1983
Manor Farm		Pulham Market, near Diss	Norfolk	1979
Martello Tower		Aldeburgh	Suffolk	1971
Methwold Old Vicarage		Methwold	Norfolk	1998	2002
New Inn		Peasenhall	Suffolk	1971		Three separate lets prior to refurbishment in 2013
Peake's House		Colchester	Essex	1995	1995
Purton Green		Stansfield	Suffolk	1969	1971
Queen Anne's Summerhouse		Shuttleworth, Old Warden	Bedfordshire	2004	2009
Stoker's Cottage		Stretham	Cambridgeshire	2005	2007
Warden Abbey		Old Warden	Bedfordshire	1974	1976	Remodelled 2017
The Warren House		Kimbolton	Cambridgeshire	2004	2012

North of England

Name	Image	Town	County	Acquired	Opened for Lets	Notes
The Banqueting House, Gibside		Gibside	Tyne & Wear	1977	1981	Winner in Sunday Times / Jackson-Stops & Staff "Country House Awards", April 1988[17]
Beamsley Hospital		near Skipton	North Yorkshire	1983	1983
Brinkburn Mill		near Rothbury	Northumberland	1990	1992
Calverley Old Hall		Calverley	West Yorkshire	1981	1984
Causeway House		Bardon Mill	Northumberland	1988
Cawood Castle		Cawood, near Selby	North Yorkshire	1985
Coop House		Netherby, near Carlisle	Cumbria	1992
Cowside		Langstrothdale	North Yorkshire		2011
Culloden Tower		Richmond	North Yorkshire	1981
The Grammar School		Kirby Hill	North Yorkshire	1973	1975
Howthwaite		Grasmere	Cumbria	1986
Morpeth Castle		Morpeth	Northumberland	1988	1991
The Music Room		Lancaster	Lancashire	1974	1977	Negotiations to purchase started 1970.[18] Refurbished 2013
The Pigsty		Robin Hood's Bay	North Yorkshire	1988	1991
The Ruin		Hackfall, Grewelthorpe	North Yorkshire	2001	2005	Hackfall Gardens acquired by the Woodland Trust in 1989 who invited Landmark Trust to restore this building, then known as Mowbray Point. Appeal for purchase (£10,000) and restoration (£250,000) launched 1990.[19]

Midlands

Name	Image	Town	County	Acquired	Opened for Lets	Notes
Abbey Gatehouse		Tewkesbury	Gloucestershire	1986		Built 1500, standing guard over Tewkesbury Abbey
Alton Station		Alton	Staffordshire	1970	1972	Former railway station for Alton Towers
Astley Castle		Nuneaton	Warwickshire	1995	2012	First lease surrendered 2001. Winner of the 2013 Stirling Prize
The Bath House		Near Stratford-upon-Avon	Warwickshire	1987	1991
The Birdhouse		Badger Dingle	Shropshire	2015	2016
Bromfield Priory Gatehouse		Near Ludlow	Shropshire	1990	1993	First listed as opening in 1992[20]
Bush Cottage		Near Bridgnorth	Shropshire	2011	2011
The Chateau		Gate Burton	Lincolnshire	1981
Field House		Minchinhampton	Gloucestershire	1986
The House of Correction		Folkingham	Lincolnshire	1982	1986
Ingestre Pavilion		Tixall	Staffordshire	1988	1991
Iron Bridge House		Ironbridge	Shropshire	1972	1977
Knowle Hill		Near Ticknall	Derbyshire	1989	1994	Building restoration started 1992[21]
Langley Gatehouse		Near Acton Burnell	Shropshire	1992	1993	Repairs funded by English Heritage[22]
Lengthsman's Cottage		Lowsonford	Warwickshire	1992	2006	Located on the towpath of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal
Lock Cottage		Stoke Pound	Worcestershire	1991	1993	Built between 1790 and 1815, located on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal
North Street		Cromford	Derbyshire	1974	1987	Earliest piece of planned industrial housing in the world, at the heart of a designated World Heritage Site.
Old Campden House – East Banqueting House		Chipping Campden	Gloucestershire	1987	1990
Old Campden House – West Banqueting House		Chipping Campden	Gloucestershire	1998	2003
32 St Mary's Lane		Tewkesbury	Gloucestershire	1982
St Winifred's Well		Woolston, near Oswestry	Shropshire	1987
Shelwick Court		Near Hereford	Herefordshire	1981	1984
Swarkestone Pavilion		Near Ticknall	Derbyshire	1985
Tixall Gatehouse		Near Stafford	Staffordshire	1968	1977
The Tower		Canons Ashby	Northamptonshire	1980
The White House		Aston Munslow	Shropshire	1990	1991

Southwest

Name	Image	Town	County	Acquired	Opened for Lets	Notes
Anderton House		Goodleigh	Devon	2000	2003	Architect: Peter Adlington, 1969
Arra Venton		Lower Porthmeor	Cornwall		1991[23]	First listed as opening in 1989[17]
Beckford's Tower		Bath	Somerset	2000	2000
Belmont		Lyme Regis	Dorset	2006	2015
Bridge Cottage		Peppercombe	Devon	1988
The Captain's House		Lower Porthmeor	Cornwall	1995	1995	Previously leased to National Trust; Lease transferred to Landmark Trust 1995[24]
Castle Bungalow		Peppercombe	Devon	1988	1991
Cawsey House		Great Torrington	Devon	1989	1998	Opened in April 1998 as 28 South Street.[25]
The Chapel		Lettaford, North Bovey	Devon	1978
The China Tower		Bicton	Devon	2013	2013
Clavell Tower		Kimmeridge, Wareham	Dorset	2006	2008	Appeal for restoration, including re-siting away from cliff edge, launched February 2003.
The College		Week St Mary	Cornwall	1976	1978
Coombe – The Carpenter's Shop		Coombe, Bude	Cornwall	1966	1969
Coombe – Chapel Cottage		Coombe, Bude	Cornwall	1966	1967
Coombe – Coombe Corner		Coombe, Bude	Cornwall	1984
Coombe – Ford Cottage		Coombe, Bude	Cornwall	1966	1969
Coombe – 1, Hawkers Cottage		Coombe, Bude	Cornwall	1969	1985
Coombe – 2, Hawkers Cottage		Coombe, Bude	Cornwall	1968	1968
Coombe – 1, Mill House		Coombe, Bude	Cornwall	1966	1968
Coombe – 2, Mill House		Coombe, Bude	Cornwall	1966	1968
Crownhill Fort		Plymouth	Devon	1987	1995
Danescombe Mine		Calstock	Cornwall	1972	1973
The Egyptian House		Penzance	Cornwall	1968	1971
Elton House		Bath	Somerset	1982	1996	Bequeathed by Philippa Savery, 1982[26]
The Farmhouse		Lower Porthmeor	Cornwall
Frenchman's Creek		Helford	Cornwall	1987	1990
Gurney Manor		Cannington	Somerset	1984	1992
Kingswear Castle		Near Dartmouth	Devon	1987	1990
The Library		Stevenstone	Devon	1978
Margells		Branscombe	Devon	1975	1976
Marshal Wade's House		Bath	Somerset	1975	1976
The Old Hall		Croscombe	Somerset	1975	1976
Parish House		Baltonsborough	Somerset	1990	1995	First listed as "Church House" for opening in 1992[20]
Peters Tower		Lympstone	Devon	1979
Pond Cottage		Endsleigh, near Tavistock	Devon	1983	1984
The Priest's House		Holcombe Rogus	Devon	1984
Robin Hood's Hut		Halswell, Goathurst	Somerset	2000	2004
Sanders		Lettaford, North Bovey	Devon	1976	1978
Shute Gatehouse		Near Axminster	Devon	1978
Silverton Park Stables		Silverton	Devon	1987	2008
Stogursey Castle		Stogursey, Bridgwater	Somerset	1982	1983
Swiss Cottage		Endsleigh, near Tavistock	Devon	1977		Designed by Jeffrey Wyatville
The Wardrobe		Salisbury	Wiltshire	1979
Whiteford Temple		Callington	Cornwall	1984
Wolveton Gatehouse		Near Dorchester	Dorset
Woodsford Castle		Near Dorchester	Dorset	1977	1992
Woodspring Priory		Near Weston-super-Mare	Somerset	1969	1992	Priory Church, Infirmary and Farmhouse acquired from National Trust, 1969. Restoration completed in phases:[27] a) Priory Tower: 1969–1971 b) Priory exterior; removal of Priory interior additions; Infirmary: 1971–1976 c) Farmhouse roof: 1980–1983 d) Farmhouse window plan; South front; Interior: 1983–1992
Wortham Manor		Lifton	Devon	1969	1974	2 flats let until 1990

Scotland

Name	Image	Town	County	Acquired	Opened for Lets	Notes
Ascog House		Ascog	Isle of Bute	1989	1993
Auchinleck House		Auchinleck	East Ayrshire	1999	2001	Acquired from Scottish Historic Buildings Trust with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland and an anonymous benefactor.[28] Built by Lord Auchinleck, father of James Boswell.
Berriedale, Shore Cottages		near Wick	Caithness	2010
Castle of Park		Glenluce	Dumfries and Galloway	1990	1993
Collegehill House		Roslin	Lothian	2002	2002
Gargunnock House			Stirling
Glenmalloch Lodge		Newton Stewart	Dumfries and Galloway	2004
Mackintosh Building		Comrie	Perthshire	1985	1985
Old Place of Monreith		Port William	Dumfries and Galloway	1983
The Pineapple		Dunmore	Central Scotland	1973	1974
Rosslyn Castle		Roslin	Lothian	1977	1985
Saddell Castle		Kintyre	Argyll and Bute	1978
Saddell House		Kintyre	Argyll and Bute	1998	2004
Saddell Lodge		Kintyre	Argyll and Bute	1984	2001
Saddell – Cul na Shee		Kintyre	Argyll and Bute	1978
Saddell – Ferryman's Cottage		Kintyre	Argyll and Bute	1990
Saddell – Shore Cottage		Kintyre	Argyll and Bute	1978
Tangy Mill		Kintyre	Argyll and Bute	1973	1981

Wales

Name	Image	Town	County	Acquired	Opened for Lets	Notes
Bath Tower		Caernarfon	Gwynedd	1967	1969
Church Cottage		Llandygwydd	Cardiganshire	1966	1967	Landmark Trust's first property
Clytha Castle		near Abergavenny	Monmouthshire	1974
Dolbelydr		Trefnant	Denbighshire	1999	2003
Llwyn-celyn Farmhouse, Llanvihangel Crucorney		Llanvihangel Crucorney	Monmouthshire	2014	under renovation
Maesyronnen Chapel		near Hay-on-Wye	Powys	1985
Monkton Old Hall		Monkton	Pembrokeshire	1979	1982
Paxton's Tower Lodge		Llanarthney	Carmarthenshire	1966	1967
Plas Uchaf		near Corwen	Denbighshire
Poultry Cottage		Leighton, Welshpool	Powys	1988
Stockwell Farm		Old Radnor	Powys
Tower Hill		St David's	Pembrokeshire	1965		Dilapidated cottages replaced by new building for first lets
Ty Capel, Rhiwddolion		near Betws-y-Coed	Gwynedd	1967
Ty Coch, Rhiwddolion		near Betws-y-Coed	Gwynedd	1968
Ty Uchaf, Rhiwddolion		near Betws-y-Coed	Gwynedd	1998	2001
West Blockhouse		Dale	Pembrokeshire	1969		Palmerston Fort, protecting Milford Haven

Belgium

• Hougoumont, close to the site of the Battle of Waterloo. The Trust contributed to the Chateau Hougoumont farm's £3M restoration, from 2013. An apartment in the former gardener's cottage over the south gates has been let since 2015.

France

• La Célibataire, Le Maison des Amis and Le Moulin de la Tuilerie, Gif-sur-Yvette, Essonne. Let since 2010.

Italy

The Spanish Steps, seen from Piazza di Spagna, Italy. John Keats lived in the house in the right foreground.

• Casa de Mar, San Fruttuoso – from summer 2016
• Casa Guidi, Florence – from 1995
• Piazza di Spagna, Rome – from 1982
• Sant'Antonio, Tivoli – from 1995
• Villa Saraceno, Agugliaro – restored 1984–1995
• Villa dei Vescovi, Padua (two apartments) – from 2006

United States

• Amos Brown House
• The Dutton Farmhouse
• Naulakha (Rudyard Kipling House)
• Kipling's Carriage House, Naulakha
• The Sugarhouse

Properties under restoration

As at August 2017, the following properties were being restored by the Trust for future lettings:

• Coed y Bleddiau, near Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd – cottage adjacent to Ffestiniog Railway. Acquired 2014. Estimated completion date: 2018.
• Llwyn Celyn, Llanthony, Monmouthshire – Medieval Hall House, formerly part of the Llanthony Priory Estate in the Brecon Beacons Black Mountain area. Acquired 2011. Estimated completion date: 2018.

Projects in development

As at August 2017, plans for restoring and renovating the following properties were under active development:

• Cobham Dairy, Cobham, Kent. Grade II* ornamental dairy designed by James Wyatt in the 1790s in the style of an Italianate chapel, on the Buildings at Risk register.^[29] The Trust launched an appeal in late September 2016 to rescue the building and had raised £200,000 by 31 March 2017, thereby securing a further £200,000 match funding from Ecclesiastical Insurance.^[30]
• Winsford Cottage Hospital, Halwill Junction, Devon. Grade II* former Cottage Hospital designed by CFA Voysey in 1900, also on the Buildings at Risk register.^[31] After being declared surplus to needs by the NHS in 1999, the hospital was acquired by the Winsford Trust who gained some support for renovation from English Heritage and the Pilgrim Trust.^[32] Proposals for joint community use and a Landmark Trust holiday let were presented to the local community in November 2016.^[33] On 8 June 2017 an appeal was launched to save the hospital by raising £355,000 within twelve months, adding to an initial £96,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and money raised through other groups and supporters.^[34]

Projects under consideration

As at December 2016, the following properties were being considered for restoration and future lettings:

• Calverley Old Hall, Main Wing – adjacent to existing property let. The pre-qualification stage of an architectural competition for the Hall's restoration closed on 1 August 2017. Likely construction costs are estimated at £2.3m.^[35]
• Fairburn Tower, Inverness^[36]
• Falsgrave Signal Box, Scarborough, North Yorkshire

Other properties previously considered by the Trust include:

• Almshouses, Denton, Lincolnshire^[37] – demolished by then owner Sir Bruno Welby, subsequently convicted in 1980 of unauthorised demolition of historic buildings and fined £1,000 plus costs^[38]
• The Master's House, Maidstone, Kent – rejected 2002 on grounds of size
• Mausoleum, Seaton Delavel – rejected for risk of repayment of Department of the Environment grant^[37]
• Warder's Tower, Biddulph, Staffordshire – leased from Staffordshire County Council 2008–2010, returned when no acceptable solution could be found for dealing with four colonies of bats

Former properties

Properties formerly run as holiday lets and owned, leased or run by the Landmark Trust on a management arrangement basis include:

• All Saint's Vicarage, Maidenhead – First floor flat in Vicarage complex designed by G.E. Street. Advertised as being prepared for opening for lets in 1990^[39] and in 1991 but not listed in 1992.
• Edale Mill, Edale, Derbyshire – The Trust bought the mill in 1969 and converted it into seven flats. Six were sold after conversion with one being retained for holiday lets until c2012.
• Fish Court, Hampton Court Palace – owned by Historic Royal Palaces. Withdrawn from property portfolio in 2014.
• The Harp Inn, Old Radnor, Powys
• Higher Lettaford, North Bovey, Devon – sold in 2013 as no longer appropriate to the Trust's property portfolio
• Hill House, Helensburgh – top floor flat returned to National Trust for Scotland in 2011.
• The Master's House, Gladstone Pottery – The Gladstone Property Museum was transferred to Stoke-on-Trent Museums in 1994.
• Meikle Ascog, Ascog, Argyll & Bute – sold in 2013 as no longer appropriate to the Trust's property portfolio
• Sandford House, 7 Lower High St, Stourbridge, West Midlands^[37]
• 30, St Mary's Lane, Tewkesbury – bought in 1969 and let to local tenants from 2006.
• Wellbrook Beetling Mill, Cookstown, Co Tyrone – returned to National Trust

Legacy Estate – other properties owned by the Trust

In addition to properties let for Holiday rentals, the Trust has been bequeathed other properties which it has refurbished and managed in other ways, through its Legacy Estate. These include:

• Dunshay Manor, Worth Matravers, Dorset – acquired 2010; let on 20 year lease 2013
• Fountain Hotel, 92 High Street, Cowes, Isle of White – acquired 2010
• The Tower, Netherne Hospital, Netherne-on-the-Hill, Coulsdon, Surrey – bequeathed 2015^[40]

Handbooks

Details of each property available to rent are available online, on the Trust's website, and in a Handbook. Twenty-five editions of the Handbook have been published to December 2016:

Archives

The Landmark Trust Lundy Island Philatelic Archive was donated to the British Library Philatelic Collections in 1991 and is located at the British Library.^[41]

Further reading

• Landmark, A History of Britain in 50 Buildings. 2015. Keay, Anna and Stanford, Caroline. Francis Lincoln Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7112-3645-5

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Landmark Trust properties.

• Landmark Trust – official site
• Landmark Trust properties' photos on Flickr