So what is it that makes Wasing Park so charming? Is it the long drive through classic English countryside?
Is it the proximity of all the buildings you need for a wedding?
Could it be the Parish Church, so light in impact, but so beautifully English?
Or is it the iconic agricultural buildings that sit in the heart of Wasing Park.
Well, it’s probably all of the above, but the contribution of the last item on that agenda is fundamental to the charm of Wasing. And up until now, they have been just agricultural buildings. But over the next few months, Wasing will be renovating the Granary, the Dovecote, and Old Blacksmith’s Shop to turn them into very unique bedrooms.
It is a rare opportunity to bring a use back to these buildings, which up until now have been largely redundant. With the help of Martin Llewellyn, from award winning architects Llewellyn Harker, Wasing will be an exclusive use venue like no other. ‘With the Dovecote, we are keeping the original ladder inside that was used to access the individual dove boxes, and with its circular shape has a very individual feel’, says the Somerset based Architect, ‘The only other place I know of is Le Manoir aux Quatre Saisons in Oxfordshire’
And what about the Granary? ‘The Granary has its own structural difficulties sitting on its staddle stones. We have designed its own box inside which will allow it to both move and be secure. It will be a two storey building, and perfect for a romantic wedding, although perhaps not for the honeymoon suite’ he says with a wink.
As for the Blacksmith’s Shop, Martin says ‘I am really excited about this as we are designing its very own chandelier. Using the wonderful oak frame, the inside of this very special room will be lit up by a cascade of individual lights’.
And as a professional how does he feel about the project? ‘Wasing is one of the high points of my 35 year career working with old buildings. It has been a real privilege to work with such wonderful structures and to put my own stamp on their characters. And I can’t wait to stay in them!’
Owner Joshua Dugdale is excited by the prospect of transforming these buildings into bedrooms. ‘As someone who has the responsibility for looking after these wonderful buildings, it is truly exciting that not only can we preserve them, but that our guests will be able to see these incredible structures from the inside. I believe this will make Wasing into one of the most interesting exclusive use venues in the country and I can’t wait to see them finished.’
Neither can we!!!