C O N T E X T 8 8 : M A R C H 2 0 0 5 25 Media and Sport (DCMS) following an evaluation which brought into question which one of two buildings on a particular site was protected by listing (due to an inconsistency in the listing description). It is unlikely that the discrepancy would have come to light if a building evaluation had not taken place, and it is possible that the listed building may have been demolished or substantially altered without consent. Shane Gould’s analysis of the briefs in the sample indicated that the majority of buildings recorded (76 per cent) were constructed after 1750. In Northamptonshire the percentage is even higher, with 81.9 per cent (68) of buildings being constructed after 1750.There has not been a policy of targeting buildings of a particular date, so it is felt that this reflects the levels of change proposed for those buildings. Recording and evaluation is targeted at buildings where substantial alterations are planned. There is perhaps a perception that buildings pre-dating 1750 are less able to sustain sensitive alteration and still retain their special interest. Schemes for substantial conversion or alteration are either not put forward, or they are not granted consent and therefore there is no need for recording or evaluation. county. This is due to a lack of understanding of the nature, size and type of the resource in the county, and therefore an absence of a clearly defined research agenda for this building type. This may also account for the relatively small proportion (14.4 per cent) of building recordings for vernacular, domestic buildings, despite the fact that these buildings account for the greatest proportion of historic/listed buildings in the county. Although there is a far greater state of knowledge about vernacular, many of the schemes for their alteration are small in scale, and the lack of a clearly defined, nationwide research agenda on this building type has meant that there has been limited opportunity to target research questions through the planning system. Two of the three transport structures (a lift bridge on the Grand Union canal and a guillotine lock on the River Nene) were recorded for very particular reasons. Both were to be demolished and an alternative structure put in their place. In both cases it was felt that a record of the construction methods, techniques and materials and mechanical working of the structure was required. In the case of the lift bridge, the aim was also to inform the construction of the replacement bridge, which was to be on a like-for-like basis. A relatively large number of outbuildings, usually associated with domestic properties, are included in the sample. These curtilage structures are often extremely vulnerable to change in comparison to the larger buildings with which they are associated. A record is usually sought to ensure that information about these buildings is retained, to provide a full and complete view of domestic properties and country-house estates. Three briefs were written specifically for thatched An analysis of the building types provided with a brief for recording or evaluation was illuminating. Different categories of buildings seem to have been recorded for different reasons. A total of 45.7 per cent of the briefs written were for industrial (22), public (15) and military (1) buildings; this compares to 56 per cent of Gould’s sample briefs. The Northamptonshire sample included factories, warehouses, hospitals, workhouses, schools and military barracks. In the majority of cases either demolition or a change of use (often to residential) involving substantial alteration was the principal reason for recording. The types of buildings were thus largely chosen for the nature and level of intervention, but in many instances there were also particular research objectives for recording the buildings. In comparison, only eight were agricultural buildings (barns, stables, granaries etc), despite the large number of barn conversions (involving substantial alteration) taking place in the Building type Number/percentage of briefs Industrial 22 (26.5%) Public 15 (18.0%) Domestic 12 (14.4%) Domestic (high status/ country house) 8 (9.6%) Agricultural 8 (9.6%) Commercial 5 (6.0%) Outbuildings 4 (4.8%) Thatched buildings 3 (3.6%) Transport 3 (3.6%) Entertainment 2 (2.4%) Military 1 (1.2%)
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