It’s not always the case when land is developed that the developer pays homage to its history but at Glapwell, Meadowview Homes are doing just that, with heritage at the heart of the development.
Working with Derbyshire-based planning consultants Planning & Design Practice Ltd, Meadowview Homes have gained planning permission and started building 64 homes on the site of the former Glapwell Estate and hall.
They share the land with Glapwell Nurseries and tea rooms as well as the amazing Grade II listed Gardener’s Bothy, one of the last remaining elements of the Glapwell Estate.
Meadowview Homes are designing unique homes whilst simultaneously integrating bespoke art and landscaping which will connect the new community of Glapwell to its past.
Glapwell, a small Derbyshire village, is built atop a steep hill adjoining the village of Bramley Vale, three miles north of Bolsover in the north east of the county.
READ MORE: Why you should visit Bolsover and Chesterfield
The Glapwell estate’s history dates back to before the 12th century, mentioned in the Domesday book as having the Lord Serlo as tenant in chief in 1086.
Serlo’s great grandson, Hugh, came into the manor of Glapwell c1180 and took his surname from the place. It was Hugh who probably built the first house on the site, and domestic chapel.
The family continued there for two centuries until 1481, when the heiress married into the Woolhouse family, before eventually passing to Samuel Hallowes of Dethick through his marriage to Elizabeth, daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Woolhouse of Glapwell.
Samuel’s eldest son, Thomas, married well, his bride being Lady Catherine Brabazon, daughter of Chambré, 5th Earl of Meath, by a daughter of Viscount Chaworth.
It was probably Thomas Woolhouse who built the earliest range, which was taxed in 1670 on nine hearths, indicating that it was a house of relatively modest dimensions.
His prosperity was, however, increased by the discovery of coal on the estate and as a result a number of extensions were built over time.
In 1861, Capt. Francis Hallowes, RN inherited the estate from a cousin and it was he who added the canted bay, the new entrance hall, and the conservatory.
The estate then ran to 2,852 acres, including Glapwell Colliery, which by then was going full blast.
READ MORE: The history of the mining industry in Derbyshire
Further alterations were probably made by Rev Brabazon Hallowes (1819-1892). On inheriting in 1892, his son Thomas Richard Francis Brabazon decided to retire and let the house to one of the Barnes’s of Ashgate (now Lords Gorell).
The hall was then let to various tenants before becoming derelict in the early 1900s, remaining that way for some time before being demolished in 1951 by the National Coal Board. The estate was ultimately broken up by Sir Christopher Mather-Jackson 5th Bt. and sold.
Only the fine gate piers, which formed the entrance to the hall and the 18th century Gardener’s Bothy, formerly a pavilion and feature in the garden of the demolished Glapwell Hall, survive.
And so to the present day, where the Hill family of Glapwell Nurseries are working closely with Meadowview Homes to breathe new life into the site.
Once the development is completed parts of the site will, for the first time, be classed as public open space.
For years the site has had no actual use or purpose and the fencing surrounding it was unsightly and dilapidated.
Glapwell Nurseries has been owned by the Hill family for more than 30 years with the nursery offering everything from plants, seeds, and bulbs, to garden furniture, barbecues and gardening tools. It now also boasts a brand-new tearoom named the Bothy Bistro and Coffee Shop.
Meadowview Homes are restoring the Gardener’s Bothy to conserve it and ensure its long-term future.
They are also reintroducing a formal garden setting as part of the development, which will contain public art, unique garden features and a children’s play area for residents to enjoy and to link up the site to surrounding parts of the village.
The public art element will be in three separate areas across the site and all will have a distinct design theme running through them to bring cohesion to the pieces, including a large 3.6m diameter dry stone sculpture.
The stone will be laid radiating to the central hole while the inner and outer edges will be contained within a corten steel ring. The faces of the circle will be dished drawing the eye into the centre.
In the Bothy Area there will be a sculpture on the lawns on each side of the road with the same design style as above but at a smaller scale.
The faces will be flat, not dished, and again these will be contained within corten steel bands. The sculptures will sit on circles of pitched stone replicating the face of the feature on the horizontal surface.
A great deal of thought by Meadowview Homes has gone into how the public art will contribute and be used by the public in the context of the wider local area, having realised the project called for artists who have suitable experience with hard landscaping on a large scale and could deliver a safe and worthy contribution to the local community.
It was at this point that Meadowview Homes came across award-winning dry stone waller Andrew Loudon, who uses local materials and themes that reflect the community.
He is working in collaboration with CB Arts’ Chris Brammall, one of the leading metalworkers in the UK and responsible for the sculpture on the Chesterfield roundabout.
The design drawings and landscaping theme have been provided by Janine Crimmins who himself has won four prestigious RHS medals.
Meadowview Homes are confident that the artwork by these established artists will be a real asset to the local community.
‘I’m delighted to be able to introduce our new Glapwell Gardens housing development for occupation,’ says Abigail Lee from Meadowview Homes.
‘This exciting new development features our signature stylish housing along with peaceful open spaces for playing, exercising and socialising.
‘We’re thrilled to have talented artists Andrew Loudon and Janine Crimmins onboard to help make our open spaces really special with sustainable landscaping and stunning sculptures.’
Glapwell Gardens is the perfect setting for homebuyers wishing to settle in a quiet countryside location within easy reach of The Peak District, Chatsworth, Haddon Hall and Matlock, all just a few miles away.
Glapwell Gardens is exceptionally well placed for commuters requiring access to major road networks, including the M1 (two minutes away) and the A38 that provides access to Nottingham and Derby to the South and Chesterfield along with Sheffield to the North.
Rich in industrial and cultural history, it's only fitting that Glapwell Gardens will add to that history with its own unique public artwork.
If you would like to find out more about this interesting and unique new development, or provide feedback on the proposals, visit meadowviewhomes.co.uk.
Planning & Design Practice Ltd is a team of planners, architects and heritage specialists based in Derbyshire, offering a comprehensive range of services and specialising in town planning, architecture, heritage, and urban design.
