Wiltshire Council has approved plans to transform the Grade I listed Hazelbury Manor in Box into an upmarket hotel, a decision that could bolster the local visitor economy while securing the long-term preservation of the estate's heritage assets.
The property, which dates back to at least the 14th century, will be converted from residential use to hospitality by its new owners. The owners say they aim to provide a "high-quality hospitality offer" that will support Wiltshire's visitor economy and ensure the estate's future upkeep.
Rural Solutions Ltd, representing the owners, told the council that the manor house is "not suitable for modern living" due to its layout, which features long corridors, multiple courtyard areas, and extensive floorspace. However, the same character makes it "entirely appropriate for use as a hotel," which they consider its optimal viable use.
Estate Includes Listed Buildings and Historic Gardens
The conversion covers the manor house, the Grade I listed Dower House, the Grade II listed Granary, and the Grade II Registered Park and Garden. The grounds include remnants of a 17th-century formal garden and a "quirky" yew circle built in the mid-1980s, inspired by Stonehenge, all set within 175 acres of land.
The manor's history is extensive, with substantial development between the 15th and 17th centuries. The great hall dates from the 1500s. The structure underwent restoration and extension in the 1920s under the direction of restoration architect and architectural historian Sir Harold Brakspear. From 1943 to 1971, it served as a girls' school before reverting to private residential occupation.
The Dower House shares a physical connection with the manor, while the Granary sits east of the principal walled garden. The Granary has traditionally been used partly for residential accommodation, currently containing two residential units with ancillary buildings.
Parish Council and Heritage Bodies Respond
Box Parish Council expressed no fundamental opposition to the application, provided concerns are addressed. They said: "The Parish Council recognises that the proposed hotel use could help secure a viable long-term future for the historic buildings and wider estate, but considered that the application was lacking sufficient detail in several key areas, including traffic management, public access, the impact on heritage, trees, and landscape, and environmental impacts."
Natural England asked for mitigation to protect bats. The Garden Trust welcomed the approach, stating: "The application presents an opportunity to consider the broader implications for the Hazelbury Manor Historic Estate to provide a sustainable future for the estate and the applicant appears to be undertaking a careful, sensitive approach to its redevelopment which we welcome."
The 20th Century Society raised concerns about specific features, saying: "We would object to the loss of any Ian Pollard-designed features, such as the Yew Henge and Prospect Mounds. We regard Pollard as a notable postmodern architect, and his interventions at Hazelbury Manor as of significance. His Jencksian earthworks and sculptures, alongside his more traditional planting, should be treated as being of high significance."
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings said "the proposed hotel use may represent a viable option to secure the long-term conservation of the site." Similarly, the Cotswolds National Landscape Board supported the principle, recognising that "hotel use represents an appropriate and viable option to secure the long-term conservation of the Manor and its grounds."
The broader estate includes tracts of agricultural land and parkland, traversed by several public rights of way, including bridleways and footpaths. The approved plans will now proceed, with the owners expected to begin the conversion work.
