4 C O N T E X T 1 1 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 0 ‘YET AGAIN the Snooping Around column says that the main drawback to a property is “It’s listed”. Do you really believe readers’ prime instinct is to fill a historic building with plastic windows and double its size with a clodhopping extension? Listing does not prevent change, it controls it.’ A letter to the Guardian from Richard Deane ‘THE QUEEN has a new court favourite. Step forward architect Ptolemy Dean, who is best known as an historic buildings advisor on the BBC2 Restoration series fronted by Griff Rhys Jones. At a recent Scottish royal house party at Balmoral, Dean was given the honour of sitting at the Queen’s right hand at the dinner table. Her Maj was said to be much taken by Dean’s habit of constantly drawing, in the manner of her old friend the late Sir Hugh Casson, former president of the RA. ‘The 41-year-old says he feels sick if he’s not drawing. Dean runs his own architecture firm in Borough Market and has been obsessively sketching buildings for 25 years. ‘“Ptolemy Dean is the Queen’s new best friend,” reports a source. ‘When he stayed at Balmoral last month he was always placed on the Queen’s right, which is a sure sign of patronage.’ Gossip from Londoner’s Diary in the Evening Standard ‘To put it beyond doubt, there is no question of downgrading the protection of historic buildings. The current language in the [draft] planning policy statement is not clear enough. We will redraft it to make clear that the protection of heritage buildings will not be reduced. ‘We have had over 500 responses to our consultation on this, more than usual. The consultation shows that there is some confusion, which we will clear up before we publish the final statement.’ Planning minister John Healey responding to criticism of the draft Planning Policy Statement 15. Gaskell connection Major alterations are being made to the grounds of Brook Street Chapel in Knutsford, Cheshire, where Elizabeth Gaskell, author of Cranford, is buried. The chapel features in Gaskell’s novel Ruth. The work coincides with the bicentenary of her birth. The Unitarian Chapel, dating from 1689, is located on a steep incline and currently accessible only by steps. Among other work, the scheme will create level access for the first time. Purcell Miller Tritton is lead consultant for the project. Company’s house style, providing a distinct contrast to the vernacular architecture of theYorkshire Dales. The difficult terrain the line runs through required major engineering work to provide a high-speed line: cuttings, embankments, bridges, tunnels and viaducts, and the diversion of streams to cross both over and under the line. The most famous structure is the Grade II* listed, 24-arched Ribblehead viaduct. Mainly built of locallyquarried stone, it is surrounded by the remains of a large construction camp. The Ribblehead construction camp was the largest settlement on the line. It contained most of the civic, commercial and social facilities such as the hospital, post office, public library, mission house, day and Sunday schools, shops and public houses. The area also contained the Midland Railway Company’s offices, yards, stables and storeroom. One of the best preserved and probably the most accessible construction camp in the country, it is a scheduled ancient monument. The appraisal document can be viewed on theYDNPA website at www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/careviewsettlecarlislerailway-full.pdf . Gothic text uncovered Salisbury Cathedral’s team of conservators found the remains of some English text, probably dating from the 15th century, when they removed the Henry Hyde Monument from the south aisle wall to repair and clean it. The monument consists of 44 pieces of marble alabaster and Chilmark stone. The discovery was made when the inscription table at its centre was removed. It was painted on a lime wash base layer rather than on the stone itself. Sir Henry Hyde had been buried in the cathedral in 1650 after his execution by Parliament for supporting King Charles I. The monument, erected soon after 1660, has now been replaced. Attempts are being made to decipher the text from photographs. Brook Street Chapel, Knutsford, in whose grounds Elizabeth Gaskell is buried Settle and Carlisle review Consultation is under way on a review of conservation area status for the Settle and Carlisle railway. It is believed to be the longest conservation area in the country. The designation was first given to the line in 1991. Stuart Parsons, theYorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s member champion for conservation of cultural heritage, said: ‘Every conservation area has a distinctive character that has been shaped over time by its natural and man-made surroundings. This appraisal is an opportunity to re-assess the railway line and to evaluate and record its special interest. ‘It sets out how this most unusual conservation area has evolved and identifies the key elements of its character and quality, as well as defining what is positive and negative, and looking at ways it can be managed for the better in the future.’ The 72-mile Settle and Carlisle railway was designated a conservation area as a result of collaboration between theYorkshire Dales National Park Authority and three district councils. It was the last main line railway to be built in the 19th century and the last in Britain to be built mainly by manual labour. The station buildings, railway workers’ cottages and other structures were all architectdesigned in the Midland Railway Salisbury Cathedral conservator Tom Beattie looks at the text
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