Colvin & Moggridge has played a vital role in the conversion of Langley Park – an important Palladian mansion house, set in a Capability Brown landscape – into a 5* hotel and spa. First, in 2013, by helping to secure the necessary planning consent and today by their reappointment as the Landscape Architects responsible for overseeing the landscaping works.
Langley Park’s history stretches as far back as 1206 when the park’s existence was first noted. In 1738 the 3rd Duke of Marlborough bought Langley Park. In 1756 Stiff Leadbetter, one of the most successful British architect-builders of his time, built the Palladian mansion house. In the early 1760s this magnificent new house was ornamented with a Capability Brown-designed English landscape parkland. In the 1980s Capability Brown’s lake was restored and many new trees and shrubs planted.
Langley Park, a Grade II* listed house and gardens, has been put to several uses over the years, including housing an Officers hospital in WW1. In 2013 it was Colvin & Moggridge’s expertise in dealing with the successful conversion of historic sites that helped secure vital planning consent for its latest conversion to 5* hotel and spa. Needless to say, it takes skilful handling to marry the exacting requirements of a 5* hotel operator with the landscape constraints imposed by historic sites of this standing.
Works are now ready to start on site and Colvin & Moggridge have been reappointed, this time to bring their landscape designs to life, marking a new chapter in Langley Park’s history. The new hotel and spa will no doubt attract many more visitors to this wonderful Capability Brown landscape.
Martin Bhatia:
We are delighted to be appointed to help realise the vision for Langley Park and look forward to integrating a new outdoor swimming pool and underground extension to house the Spa. A simple bold treatment of grassed terraces will retain the historic relationship between the house, its immediate garden surrounds and the Brown lake and parkland beyond.
Since Hal Moggridge’s Blenheim Palace commission in 1980 the practice has worked on numerous Brown landscapes. Areas of expertise when it comes to landscapes like Compton Verney, Leeds Castle and Petworth include Landscape Management Plans, the reinstatement or restoration of key Brown landscape features like views, and the sensitive integration of new amenities like visitor centres and art galleries. Langley Park will be Colvin & Moggridge’s 24th Brown landscape.