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Queen Anne's SummerhouseOld Warden, Bedfordshire
Queen Anne’s Summerhouse stands on the Shuttleworth Estate, and therefore not far from the beautifully maintained model village of Old Warden. The Shuttleworth Estate approached us to ask whether we could help with two buildings on the estate, this and Keeper's Cottage which stands nearby. We have already completed the restoration of Keeper's Cottage, which is available to stay in and have raised the necessary funds to save Queen Anne's Summerhouse. With fundraising complete, work began on site on 6 October 2008. Click here to see the skills and techniques that have been used throughout the restoration process.
Large and four-square, Queen Anne's Summerhouse stands on a hill with a fine view of Shuttleworth in a woodland of ancient oaks, limes, sweet chestnuts and conifers. As it exists today Queen Anne’s Summerhouse has just two simple chambers, one above the other and both with fireplaces. A round tower stands at each of the four corners, one of which once held a spiral staircase for access to the roof.
The building's chief glory is its finely jointed rubbed brickwork of the highest quality, a quality consistent with an early eighteenth-century date. The summerhouse was probably built by a rich linen draper, Samuel Ongley, who was indeed knighted by Queen Anne in 1712. Its datestone of 1876 refers instead to a restoration campaign by a later owner of the estate, Joseph Shuttleworth.
In June 2008 the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) confirmed they would be awarding a grant of £350,000 towards the project. This grant combined with the funds raised by Landmark, meant that restoration work could start on site in early October.
Queen Anne's Summerhouse was in a severe state of disrepair. Using traditional skills and materials, specialist building conservation contractors Modplan of Shefford repaired the crumbling brickwork and original joinery, replaced the roof and bringing the building back close to its original eighteenth-century appearance. Missing doorcase brackets were carved by students from the City and Guilds of London Art School based on evidence from old photographs.
The project was completed in Autumn 2009 and the building is now available for holidays for two people. There will also be a number of Open Days each year. For more information on prices and availability, click here.
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