Rufford Abbey

Client: Nottinghamshire County Council

This highly complex site includes a scheduled monument comprising the remains of a Cistercian abbey converted into a country house (listed Grade I), together with a Grade II registered park and garden containing elements from almost every period of the last 350 years, and various listed outbuildings and garden features. In the post-war period large parts of the house were demolished to reveal the medieval abbey remains, creating a site that requires considerable ongoing maintenance without providing usable space to help generate revenue.

We are working with MRDA Architects to create a Conservation Management Plan which sets out the history and significance of the site, and considers the issues surrounding its present use as a Country Park attracting over 400,000 visitors a year. Our role includes developing a vision for the site, as well as a full suite of policies to secure its conservation while enabling increases in its capacity to host events and accommodate more visitors. We are also producing a Gazetteer to provide a long-term management tool for the detailed conservation and maintenance of every building, room, and landscape area on this diverse site.

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