Subscribe to trusted local news
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
13
Feb
Grade II listed Gothick seat at Swinton Park to be restored
A stone seat built by a local landowner nearly 200 years ago is to be restored to its former glory.
The grade II listed structure is situated on the edge of a steep ravine near Quarry Gill Bridge in the grounds of Swinton Park, near Masham.
It was put there in 1832 by William Danby, who rebuilt his family home, Swinton Park, in its current Gothick style following his grand tour of Europe in the 1790s.
Gothick (with a 'k') was a short-lived style of architecture in the 1700s that revived many elements of medieval style with little concern for historical accuracy. This desire for fabricated antiquity gave rise to all sorts of mock-ancient follies, including Danby's famous Druid's Temple, a set of standing stones at Swinton designed to look similar to Stonehenge.
An inscription on the seat reads: “This seat overlooking some of the beautiful works of the Creator was built with a grateful mind by William Danby esq, AD 1832”.
The seat from the front and rear.
The seat is currently in a state of serious disrepair, and several of the stones that form its arched roof have fallen in.
Several options were considered for its reconstruction, and the one settled upon in consultation with English Heritage will rebuild the east and west buttresses on a single spanning foundation, keeping a portion of the rear wall in place.
The heritage, design and access statement written by York-based Donald Insall Associates states:
This option provides the structural link and integrity required for the stone vault above, but also allows some element of the original fabric to remain in place, providing a sure precedent for the areas to be reconstructed.
Planning consent for the work was granted on Tuesday (February 10) and will last for the usual three years.
0