9 of the best historic houses in Bristol to visit this summer

Bristol and the surrounding area is steeped in rich architectural history. It’s no surprise then that the area has a large amount of historic houses. Here are 9 of our favourite historic houses around the Bristol area. 1. Tyntesfield, Wraxall, Bristol A Grade 1 listed stately home located in the small village of Wraxall near Bristol, Tyntesfield is considered one of the best surviving examples of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in the country. Built on the site of a 16th century hunting lodge, the grand home as we know it today was built by the businessman William Gibbs in the 1860s who had made his fortune selling guano as a … Continue reading →

Case study: Timber sash window renovation and repair

An exciting, completed project where Wessex were commissioned by Bath Spa University to renovate and refurbish a collection of period windows in Main House has now been completed. Timber sash window renovation and repair at Main House, Bath Main House, in Newton Park, is currently used by Bath Spa University as an administration hub. It is a Grade 1 Listed building, and was built in the 1760s by Stiff Leadbetter for Joseph Langton. The building is an exceptional example of early Neo-Classical architecture and is characterised by its hipped roof, balustrades and Bath stone front. It is currently owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. As period timber window specialists, Wessex … Continue reading →

Adaptive reuse of heritage buildings: 5 of the best

Adaptive reuse refers to the process of repurposing an old building for a purpose other than that which it was designed for. A compromise between historic preservation and demolition, it’s a sustainable way of reusing existing building stock which can reduce urban sprawl and environmental impact. Here are 5 of the best examples. 1. The Lighthouse, Glasgow Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture, The Lighthouse in Glasgow, was adaptively reused from the former offices of the Glasgow Herald newspaper in 1999. The world famous architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh had designed these offices nearly 90 years previously and the repurposing blends outside and inside space together to emphasis the art deco … Continue reading →