A billionaire’s sprawling Wiltshire estate is set for a new refurbishment.
On top of the plans submitted previously for the revamp of Conholt Park new proposals have been put through to set up accommodation for the staff who will work at the mansion.
Conholt Park, built close to the border with Hampshire in the late 17th century, was bought for £80 million by the founder and chief executive of the investment management company Blackstone, Stephen Schwarzman, in October last year.
The new plans include the demolition, refurbishment and conversion of Stable Courtyard buildings to provide staff accommodation.
A new building just for doing laundry is also planned along with a staff mess room.
The plans say: “The staff mess room is designed to provide all the essential facilities that the gardening team will need on a daily basis, including toilet and shower facilities, a Kitchen and seating area, and an office space for the Head Gardener, from which the maintenance of the designed landscape can be organised.”
In addition, The Old Granary will be repaired and refurbished, along with the Garden Room and a new tool and machine store will be built at the new service yard.
The plans also give some background: “Conholt Park, located off Hungerford Lane is an estate of approximately 2500 acres, located within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. At its heart is Conholt House, a Grade II* listed country house.
“The adjoining Courtyard buildings are also Grade II listed.
“The 10 acre gardens surrounding the main buildings, and the wider estate parkland, are not included on Historic England’s list of Registered Parks and Gardens.
“Conholt Park was originally developed as an agricultural estate.
“It is likely that from the 1720s deer were hunted on the estate which was followed from 1800 by fox hunting.
“In the 1850s Conholt Park became a shooting estate, which from 1991, was further developed to become one of the finest shooting estates in the south of England.”
The previous proposals which are still under consultation included many other changes.
The changes included the demolition of the existing modern swimming pool and enclosure and the creation of a new, three-storey extension on the site of the north-western wing.
There are also changes planned for the main house including the creation of a new external kitchen link to provide direct access from the main house to the new kitchen in the proposed extension.
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