MICKLEFIELD’S OVERHAUL

Posted On April 4, 2015
April 04, 2015

great-barn-002-1Micklefield Hall, on Sarratt Road, well known to the students of Clement Danes as the home of their Sixth form prom,  has been a venue and film location for some while, but owners Anna and Jamie Rankin, have restored the Tithe Barn making it a self contained venue

When Anna and Jamie moved in to Micklefield Hall in 1998 they hadn’t anticipated the mammoth project that lay before them.

“I grew up at Micklefield and when my Dad became unwell Jamie and I came back to take it over” says Anna, “The farm is 350 acres including Parkland, 100 acres of arable and 90 acres of mature woodland and it soon became clear that extensive work was needed, especially on the properties and farm buildings. We had to either sell up or make it work.”

The house was built in 1740 but the hall and the staircase was redesigned by Sir John Soane in the late eighteenth century, making it an especially popular location choice for political dramas.

In 2002 Anna and Jamie made a decision to invest a large sum of money and restore the redundant traditional Tithe Barn, (once used as a threshing barn for storing wheat) and turn it into a self contained venue. The work began in 2010 and has been completed in time for this season’s weddings.

“It took a long time to get planning permission.” says Anna, “The barn was Grade 2 listed. We employed an extraordinary architect who is passionate about history. The oldest piece of wood turned out to be from 1490!”

“The barn was once owned by St Albans Abbey” adds architect Tony Mealing, “A Dendochronologist came from Oxford University and just from drilling a hole could tell the type of wood and when the tree was planted and felled.”

Meticulous attention was paid to historical detail in the renovation.

“Every bump and curve of the barn structure was faithfully reproduced. The frame was badly twisted and had to be pulled back into shape slowly with big winches and chains, cranked up a couple of notches a day.”

Trees from the estate were crafted into features from oak floors to walkways and even used for energy.

“Oak from 200yr old trees on the estate was planked and used as part of the frame and some of the floor was replaced by timbers which had been preserved in mud underneath the barn.: says Tony, “We have an eight year plan for boiler fuel. About ½ tonne of wood a day is used. There is a well and a sewage treatment system and the water goes back into the ground cleaner than it comes out. “

Salvaged original materials or sympathetic traditional local materials have been used throughout, including imperial sized handmade bricks from Bovingdon Bricks to construct a brick plinth, all laid in traditional lime mortar and mixed with original salvaged bricks.

“The company is acknowledged nationwide for their quality handmade bricks. They use a similar clay to that cut into in Roman times and the bricks have a stunning characteristic red glow when the sun sets.”

The overall result is an authentic looking Great Barn in keeping with the Chiltern landscape which has understated state-of-the-art facilities and makes a perfect venue for events, especially weddings.

“It is subtlety organic – the heating and ventilating is all under floor. There is a fully equipped kitchen in the old squash court and the old potting shed are now loos. There is an area for the bride to get ready, a bar, stage, sophisticated sound system and LED lighting.”

Next to the barn, a new build 19th century style Coach House, together with an old cart lodge, recreates an authentic 1770s closed courtyard and there’s also a cloistered walk.

Exceptional care has gone into creating and maintaining the Barn and surrounding buildings and the Rankins are just as passionate about looking after clients well.

“We don’t produce conveyor belt weddings, our whole ethos is about quality from start to finish.”

www.micklefieldhall.com

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