The National Trust's plans for my burnt-out family seat are a travesty. It should be left alone
In 2008, the Palladian splendour of Clandon Park House played host to the Keira Knightley film The Duchess, no doubt drawn by its breathtaking marble hall and extravagant stucco ceilings.
Now all that is left of this Grade I listed mansion are the ghosts of its past, along with the charred ruins of one of Britain's most unique houses.
However, a decade after the devastating 2015 fire that all but destroyed it, Clandon, along with its owner, the National Trust, is at the centre of an extraordinary row that threatens to embroil the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner. This is because the National Trust has decided not to restore the Surrey house like-for-like to its former glory, instead leaving it 'as a ruin' and re-presenting it in its 'post-fire condition', which experts believe to be a first.
In March, the controversial National Trust plan was approved by a planning committee at Guildford Borough council, despite trenchant opposition at the meeting.
Anya Lucas, a director of the architectural charity The Georgian Group, who was present, warns that it sets a 'dangerous precedent' – and she is now appealing to Rayner for a public inquiry. 'The plans are harmful and compound the damage this important Palladian building sustained in the fire of 2015,' she says. 'To leave a fire-damaged building as a ruin is one option, but these proposals are not consistent with that approach.
'The extraordinary sculptural plasterwork of Clandon's Marble Hall made it one of the most dramatic interiors of its date in England. These proposals mean that future generations will be denied the opportunity to experience those interiors and that a great opportunity to support at-risk craft skills has been missed,' says Lucas.
'These proposals offer little real public benefit at great cost to a Grade I listed building which occupies an important place in British architectural history.'
Set in a 1,000-acre estate, Clandon was home to the earls of Onslow for more than 200 years, having been designed for the family by Venetian architect Giacomo Leoni in around 1730.
Leoni blended the extravagance of the Baroque with the elegance and harmony of the Palladian style, which was in turn inspired by the 16th century Italian Renaissance. The centrepiece was an imposing double-height marble hall, but Clandon is probably best known for its magnificent stucco ceilings that were considered the jewel in the crown.
It also boasted a room called the Speakers' Parlour, a nod to the Onslow family's history, which included a smattering of MPs and three speakers of the House of Commons.
Clandon Park was landscaped by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, but by the Second World War the house was, according to historian James Lees-Milne, 'dirty and in decay' – and in 1956, the 6th Earl Onslow donated it to the nation.
But in April 2015 a fire spread from the basement to the roof, and by the time it was brought under control, the house was essentially a shell. An investigation blamed an electrical fault. The following year, the National Trust announced a partial restoration in some areas of the house and a modernisation in others, after it was reported that it had received a £63 million insurance payout. But, in 2022, the Trust declared that the ambitious restoration project was being dropped in favour of conservation, with the ruins being framed by modern walkways and rooftop terrace.
Work is expected to start this autumn and to be completed by 2029, provided the Deputy Prime Minister does not decide to intervene.
There are understood to have been a raft of complaints to Rayner, calling on her to 'call in' the decision, which could lead to a public inquiry.
For the current 8th Earl of Onslow, Rupert Onslow, who runs the surrounding estate, the controversy has not just divided the experts but also his family. 'I am in a minority in my family in that I believe that it should be left for the birds,' He says. 'It should be left as a tragic ruin without renovation or intervention.
'I speak objectively – if you can ever be objective about your family house burning down.'
Lord Onslow, who in the 1980s celebrated his 21st birthday party at Clandon, and later his stag do, has more emotional investment in the house than most.
But if the National Trust think this is qualified approval for their plans, then they would be mistaken. Lord Onslow says: 'I am not sure about the National Trust's plans. It seems a travesty to have a modern staircase in the air, around this ruin. It should be left alone.
'My view is that this is a tragedy, and it should be left as a symbol of that tragedy.
'It can never be financially viable in the current proposed form. I do not think it can ever be money-making, because how often do people pay to see a burnt-out shell?'
Francis Terry, an architect and former chairman of the influential Traditional Architecture Group, says: 'It makes me depressed, to be honest. The whole British psychology around restoration is totally flawed. You see Dresden rebuilt and it brings an amazing joy.
'I am an architect and have come across absurd decisions like this constantly. It seems to be the fashion now.
'But with restoration you are also employing all these skilled crafts that are endangered, particularly the stucco work that marked Clandon House as significant. We have all these crafts and skills in this country and they rely on restoration projects, like Windsor and Uppark. We see a whole new generation of skilled craftsmen being trained up.
'What happens when we lose that? We will be forced to import these skills instead. That makes no sense.'
Terry cites a long roll call of specialists for such a restoration, with expertise required in roofing, marble, scagliola (imitation marble), stucco, joinery, leadwork and glass.
Uppark House is another Grade I listed building, in West Sussex, that was badly damaged in a 1989 fire, but was subsequently restored in its entirety by the National Trust. It was hailed as a landmark in helping restore lost crafts. Some of those craftsmen and women would later work at Windsor Castle in the wake of the 1992 fire.
At the time, journalist Simon Jenkins, who would go on to become the chairman of the National Trust, said: 'Uppark is more than a house restored. It is an argument won.'
At face value, then, it seems odd that Jenkins now argues that Clandon should be left alone. But this is different, he insists, because 'there was no more house'.
Philip Gaches, a conservation plasterer, says: 'Windsor Castle was a great help to the industry in general. It created many opportunities to get together and learn these skills. That is why we are fed up about Clandon Park, because it was an opportunity to revitalise this industry and it has been taken away from us.'
Anya Lucas is not alone, however, in pointing out there is more to this dispute than simply aesthetics. This is because the National Trust, in an unusual twist, argued that the planning proposals should be judged on what remains, rather than a Grade I listed building that should be restored like for like.
Lord Onslow says: 'It seems to drive a coach and horses through the idea of a Grade I listed building. What is to stop someone burning a Grade I listed building down and then using the same argument as the National Trust?'
If the 8th Earl of Onslow suggests an unlikely scenario, he does illustrate a broader point about whether public bodies are obliged to restore a recently burnt down listed building.
Chris Miele, an expert in historic planning, says: 'I would go so far as to say it sets a precedent. I am not aware of this happening before, and it is certainly very unusual for a public body to take this approach to a recently burnt-down building.'
A National Trust spokesman says: 'Our plans will bring Clandon Park back to life as a welcoming, engaging and fully functional house. They reflect in-depth conversations with heritage bodies, architectural specialists, heritage craftspeople – some of whom are already working at Clandon – community organisations and local residents; and also, with over 75,000 visitors to Clandon since the fire.'
The Trust says that the plans had been unanimously approved by Guildford Borough Council and its 'vision… showcases the importance and beauty of what survived the fire'.
The spokesman adds: 'Our approach combines careful conservation, scholarly restoration and sensitive contemporary design. Public feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, recognising that our plans respect Clandon's past and will create an exciting new chapter in its history.'
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