Shropshire Council has published a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) produced to help develop an understanding of Rowley’s Warehouse and Mansion in Shrewsbury, and to inform how the site can best be cared for and sustained for future generations to enjoy – with a specialist survey of the building’s timbers also being carried out this week.
The Plan can be seen here.
The Rowley’s Warehouse and Mansion Conservation Management Plan considers:
- Its history and development over time, the wider heritage context of the site and how it relates to other sites of a similar type or date, who owns it and how it is currently managed.
- Its importance in terms of the values, significance and associations for different people.
- Its condition, the issues it faces now or in the future, and how vulnerable it is to change.
- The ways in which it can be managed in the future
The preparation of the CMP has involved a review of existing primary and secondary sources to understand ‘what we have’, plus surveys and work with stakeholders to consider ‘how important it is’.
This week’s survey of the building timbers
In terms of identifying the issues that could impact on the building, a full condition survey of the fabric has been undertaken, including prioritising the work needed to repair or maintain the asset, and the expected costs in the short, medium and long term. The work was informed by new measured elevations, plans and a structural survey which were commissioned by the council in 2023.
In addition, there has been discussion and engagement with a range of stakeholders with an interest in the future of the site.
A particular feature of the brick mansion is the ornamental plaster ceiling dating back to the mid-17th century. The name Rowley’s House refers to the timber-framed building which dates from the early 17th Century – this is actually a misnomer as this was built and used as a warehouse until it became the town museum in the 1930s. The building never had any stairs and each floor would have been accessed by ladders. A later extension was built which houses a fine wooden staircase which sticks out on the south east side.
This part of the building is structurally unstable and underpinning and strapping was installed in 2023 to prevent a collapse. Since then Shropshire Council has been working with structural engineers and conservation architects to survey the building and develop a plan for its repairs and re-use.
Roger Evans, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for finance, said:
“Rowley’s House is an iconic and much-loved building. A conservation management plan is essential when planning the conservation of such a complex listed building and will give us a much better understanding of the building and options for its future.
“This week a specialist survey of the building timbers has also been carried out and the results of this will be updated into the restoration plan. Initial findings show that there are patches of significant decay but many areas of timber are still structurally sound. Either way the repairs works to make the building safe and re-useable will be significant, and Cabinet will consider the future of Rowley’s House as part of our review of plans for future capital projects.”
Further information
The conservation management plan (CMP was commissioned by Shropshire Council in 2023.and was researched and written by Vicky Hunns of TDR Heritage Ltd.The CMP is underpinned by more detailed reports carried out by Arrol Green Design Studio (condition survey and access audit); Faithful & Gould (measured survey); Clach Conservation (Structural Survey), Biome Consulting (Bat Survey); Heritage Innovation (Drone Survey) and Drainage Surveys.
The preparation of the CMP included a workshop with a group of key stakeholders to gauge their views on Rowley’s Warehouse and Mansion in May 2024. The workshop explored the significance of the Site to different people, thought through the emerging issues faced by the Site and identified additional pressures on the site that needed to be included in the CMP. It also considered how the future management of Rowley’s Warehouse and Mansion could be more effective in protecting the special interest of the Site and the implications of this on its potential future use.
Format of the CMP
Section 1 includes a synthesis and explanation of the various heritage aspects of the Site and how it developed over time. It covers the Rowley’s Warehouse and Mansion site in its entirety from the buildings and structures, known or potential for below ground remains, to its historic and cultural associations and setting.
Section 2 deals with the significance of the Site as a whole, in terms of its architectural and artistic, historic, archaeological and communal interest.
Section 3 considers the issues affecting the site and the extent to which these might impact on Rowley’s Warehouse and Mansion’s value and significance. As well as highlighting its vulnerability to change, it also notes risks and opportunities associated with future management and develops some recommendations about how these issues can be managed in the future.
Section 4 brings together a summary of the recommendations identified in Section 3 as a set of ‘management policies’ for the site, to help guide future management and thinking about the site and its use.
Section 5 outlines how the CMP and its Policies will be ‘adopted’ and used in the future, and how often they should be reviewed.
