It was a pleasure to provide a heritage statement in support of a planning and listed building consent application for alterations to a Grade II listed former hop warehouse in the Borough of Southwark, London.
Aesthetic Value
The application site has a high degree of aesthetic value. As stated in Conservation Princples ‘’Aesthetic value derives from the ways in which people draw sensory and intellectual stimulation from a place.’’ The former warehouse is a substantial four storey building built of stock brick with slate roof. The architectural interest of the building lies primarily on the external elevations. Externally, the building is of symmetrical design with steel casement windows and strong vertical emphasis, the simple external features are typical of warehouses of the 19th century.
The front elevation has two loading bays with gantry and these features have been retained. The round-headed arch on the ground floor has been modified and side elevation has cross shaped metal ties. The interior was altered as part of the conversion to residential, however several interesting features have been retained including the metal king posts and metal columns on each floor. All of these external and internal features contribute to the architectural interest of the building. Internal partitions were installed as part of the conversion, and these are of no architectural interest. An inspection has been carried out on the roof lantern and although some of the timbers may be historic the roof lantern is clearly of modern construction and of no architectural merit.
Historic Value
The building has a high degree of historic value. As stated in Conservation Principles, historic value ‘’derives from the ways in which past people, events and aspects of life can be connected through a place to the present. It tends to be illustrative or associative’’. Flat 12, Devon House, Maidstone Buildings Mews forms part of the Grade II listed Wiltshire House (formerly listed as Kent House) and was constructed between 1850 and 1872 and was in use as a warehouse for most of the 19th and 20th century. The 1879 OS map shows the building was in use as a hop warehouse and is a good example of its type.
The building is of a high level of historic interest due to its age and former industrial use, although much of the interior has been altered its original use is still discernable. It is a good example of a hop warehouse and is sited near the Anchor Brewery and the Hop Exchange. There are several interesting industrial features that have been retained when the building was converted to residential, and these contribute to the historic character of the building.
Evidential Value
Maidstone Buildings Mews has a high degree of evidential value. As stated in Conservation Principles evidential value ‘’derives from the potential of a place to yield evidence about past human activity’’. The building remained unaltered until recently and despite the recent changes the legibility of its plan form still remains and this yields evidence about how previous occupiers used the building.
Communal Value
The building has a small degree of communal value. Communal value is defined as ‘’Communal value derives from the meanings of a place for the people who relate to it, or for whom it figures in their collective experience or memory. Communal values are closely bound up with historical (particularly associative) and aesthetic values, but tend to have additional and specific aspects.’’
The former warehouse was used for the storage of hops for the brewing industry, and it contributed to the daily function of the Anchor Brewery. The storage of hops was necessary, and this function ensured the building contributed to the local economy.
Contribution of setting to Significance
The building is set back from the street but sited on a prominent position in Borough High Street Conservation Area and its aesthetic, historic, communal, and evidential values contribute to the character of the conservation area. The setting of the building comprises primarily of the areas immedicably in front of the building behind the entrance to Maidstone Building Mews.
Summary of Significance
The listed building displays a high level of architectural and historic interest and its significance derives from its age, former use, materials, architectural features, and design. The modern interventions that were recently installed as part of the conversion to residential including the modern partitions and roof lantern are of no historic or architectural interest and it is primarily the front elevation and historic features on the interior as outlined above that are of the highest significance. Although the modern additions are of no great interest, they nevertheless form part of the historic development of the building. The area in front of the property behind the gate forms part of its setting.
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