Fight to save historic Trowbridge property from being lost

Civic leaders says the Grade 2 listed Georgian mansion, Courtfield House, is in danger of its interior being lost because the roof is still open to the elements.

Having been empty for several years, the former clothier’s mansion was falling into disrepair and was placed on Historic England’s “at-risk” register.

The exposed roof of the historic Courtfield House is leaving the building open to damage by the elements. Trevor Porter 77221-4 (Image: Trevor Porter)

A letter signed by Trowbridge mayor Cllr Stephen Cooper; Cllr Andrew Bryant,  chair of the council’s town development committee, and Cllr Glyn Bridges, chairman of Trowbridge Civic Society is asking for something to do be done before it is damaged further.

They are concerned developer, Ashford Homes (South Western) Ltd is failing to protect Courtfield House from the effects of the weather.

Their letter says: “This former clothier’s house played a very important part in the history of the cloth trade in Trowbridge. Councillors are extremely concerned at its present state.

“The house was roofed in scaffold until last Christmas and when this was removed, together with the stone tiles and many roof timbers, it left the interior completely exposed to the weather.

“The attached workshop has been almost entirely demolished, this part of the building was never at risk.

“Recently, the very large and unusual bay window on the right hand side was removed (unusual in that it had vertically sliding window shutters).

“The removal of the bay window has caused a crack to appear in the wall above the opening and this is very concerning.

“The treatment of the building by the developer will inevitably mean that much of the interior character of the building will be lost, the elm floorboards, doors and door furniture, window shutters, etc. leaving it just a shell.

“Having recently lost two listed buildings in West Wilts to developers, it is our hope that Courtfield House will not become the third.

“We would ask you to take urgent steps to prevent the loss of this important historic building.”

The exposed roof of the historic Courtfield House is leaving the building open to damage by the elements. Trevor Porter 77221-1 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Courtfield House which was built around 1754 and is one of the oldest properties in Trowbridge, is in the midst of being converted into four apartments, with 16 homes being built in the old orchard on the 1.65-acre site.

The firm’s development director Tom Griffiths said: "This is a complex refurbishment project that necessitates close liaison with both Wiltshire Council’s conservation team and Historic England to agree a step-by-step approach to the works.

"Since finally being able to safely access the building in May, large amounts of broken asbestos were discovered in the basement.

"This required testing and extensive discussions with heritage architects, engineers, specialist contractors, and statutory bodies, to agree how to safely access the basement to facilitate its removal.

"This work has now been completed and scaffolding is being put in place to enable masonry repairs and rebuilding works to commence in the next few weeks, ultimately allowing the roof to be replaced."

The roof at Courtfield House has been left exposed to the elements since November last year. Trevor Porter 70319-3 (Image: Trevor Porter)

The renovation of Courtfield House was expected to have been completed in late summer 2024, alongside the new building works taking place in the former orchard.