Plans to rebuild part of mansion near Potters Bar after blaze

The stable block roof, vehicle store and Laundry Cottage at Wrotham Park were almost “totally destroyed” by the blaze, which broke out on July 27 last year.

But the estate, in the Hertfordshire countryside between Barnet and Potters Bar, has put forward plans to restore the stable yard to its pre-fire state, “preserving as much of the existing fabric as possible”.

Plans published on the Hertsmere Borough Council website read: “In July 2022, a fire broke out in the stable block and spread to the roof.

“As a result of the fire, the roofs of the stable block, vehicle store and Laundry Cottage are nearly totally destroyed.

“The interior of the stables and vehicle store were also gutted, with more of the internal finishes severely damaged, both by the fire and then subsequently from the firefighting efforts.

“The interior of the Laundry Cottage was also seriously damaged.”

The plans add that timberwork was exposed, and some brickwork suffered charring and decay if it was not destroyed.

“The surviving structures were also subject to exposure to the elements, since there was  no remaining roof,” the plans add.

Scaffolding and a temporary roof were built to shield the ruins.

The fire also damaged a clock “beyond repair”.

The plans set out: “All repair and restoration works will and are to match existing profiles and materials where feasible.

“All new works and alterations will [be] to the highest standard of design that is befitting the status of this building and its inherent heritage value.

“The external proposals include the reinstatement of the destroyed roof structure in a like-for-like manner.

“It is proposed that a timber roof structure be installed, and covered with new Welsh slate lead rolls to the ridges, and lead flashings.

“Following discussions with the structural engineer, proposals have been developed to reinstate the roof structure as closely as possible to the original.”

The plans add some curved walls have buckled.

Part of the wall will be dismantled and rebuilt using “as much of the original material as possible”, including salvaged bricks.

They add surviving chimneys will be retained and refurbished, while the clock will be reinstated “as close as possible to the original”, with the burnt out mechanism put on display.

Wrotham Park mansion was originally built in 1754 for Admiral John Byng, and it remains home of the Byng family.

The Grade II*-listed stable yard dates to the early-1800s.

It is not the first time Wrotham Park has been damaged by fire, after a blaze in 1883 gutted the Palladian villa and its wings.

The mansion was rebuilt.

The Hertfordshire stately home has recently featured in a host of critically acclaimed TV series and films.

Among them are Netflix’s Bridgerton, where the estate appears as the Bridgerton family’s country home Aubrey Hall, The Crown, The Diplomat, Johnny Depp’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bridget Jones’s Diary and Fry and Laurie’s Jeeves and Wooster.

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• Bridgerton family's country home Aubrey Hall filmed on location at Wrotham Park in Hertfordshire
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When the blaze broke out last summer, more than 10 crews from across Hertfordshire rushed to the scene.

They were joined by units from London.

Group commander on the Hertfordshire side, Keith Harland, said in a statement: “Crews from both Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the London Fire Brigade worked very hard to successfully contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to the main building, which was our main concern.

“Thanks to the great teamwork of the many crews involved, the fire was extinguished and there were no casualties.”