Sockburn Hall - Conservation and Restoration
Location: Neasham, County Durham
Client: Private
Status: Completed 2018
As part of a two-year conservation and restoration project, our brief involved breathing new life into this dormant 1830’s Grade II* Listed hall, which has its own stretch of river and ruined Grade I Listed chapel. The hall had been in poor repair for decades. As at 2008, both the Hall and adjoining Grade II coach house were listed by English Heritage on the ‘Buildings at Risk’ register, as was the adjacent ruined Grade I Church of All Saints.
Liaising closely with our client, as well as Historic England, specialist conservation consultants and the local authority, we preserved the external skin of the neo-Jacobean two storey building, along with its three bays, attic spaces and shaped gables. A full-time specialist stone mason was employed throughout the duration of the project to restore the stone work, including window sills and chimneys.
Restoring the Interiors
We also worked to restore the magnificent internal features which are of the finest quality. In particular, the original oak paneling is regarded as one of the best examples of its type in the UK. Following its restoration, the hall was shortlisted for a ‘Historic England Angel Award,’ which celebrates the efforts of people who go to extraordinary lengths to protect and save their local heritage.