Billionaire approved to restore Grade I-listed forecourt to 1800s style

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 14:58 · Archive

Hedge fund tycoon Chris Rokos has been approved to remove tarmac and restore the forecourt of Grade I-listed Tottenham House in Savernake Forest. Wiltshire Council approved the detailed landscaping works on 9 October.

The forecourt serves as the grand arrival space in front of the mansion's west-facing principal entrance, where visitors and vehicles approach the house. Its appearance has changed considerably over nearly 300 years. It was enclosed in the 1730s, opened towards the parkland in the late 18th century and became a fully hard-landscaped forecourt in the 1880s, before a circular lawn appeared in the 1920s. More recent alterations brought tarmac, planting and a formal vehicle roundabout.

The new work will restore the forecourt towards its late 1800s character. The existing tarmac and concrete kerbs will be completely removed and ground levels lowered. This will reveal historic features currently partly buried by the modern surface, including the bottom step of the mansion's West Portico.

Wiltshire Council said the work would preserve the setting of the main house and help secure the long-term conservation of the estate's heritage assets.

How it is being reported

• Billionaire's plans to rip up path through historic forest approvedA billionaire will be ripping up the tarmac at the front of his stately home as renovations enter a new phase.Gazette & Herald · 13 Oct, 14:29
• Billionaire's plans to rip up path through historic forest approvedA billionaire will be ripping up the tarmac at the front of his stately home as renovations enter a new phase.Swindon Advertiser · 13 Oct, 14:29
• Billionaire's plans to rip up path through historic forest approvedA billionaire will be ripping up the tarmac at the front of his stately home as renovations enter a new phase.Wiltshire Times · 13 Oct, 14:29

In this story: Chris Rokos · Tottenham House · Savernake Forest · Wiltshire Council

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