| Description | Milne's Orangery, Back Lane, Wakefield. Orangery built c.1780.
'Circa 1780. Former orangery of the home of Pemberton Milnes, wealthy cloth manufacturer, (now No 122 Westgate). One storey building in Adam style. 5 bay arcaded centre section framed in an order of engaged columns with feather capitals, garlands and paterae in frieze, and modillion cornice. Flanking lower wings of 5 bays defined by pilasters, entablature and blocking course. Ashlar, partly stuccoed. Low pitched hipped slate roofs. Central openings partly filled and large round arched mid C19 sash windows with glazing bars inserted, the central window having margin lights also and filling the whole space. Recessed sash windows with glazing bars in wings. Right wing has a coved, groined ceiling inside'.
(English Heritage listed building description. Date listed 30/03/1971. http://list.english heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1242123. Web site accessed 12/11/2013).
The Orangery was the subject of an archaeological assessment by Peter Thornborrow (WYAS) in 1991. The photographic images produced by the assessment are held by WYAAS (Thornborrow, P.H. (WYAS). 1991). WYAAS archives holds hand written notes dating to 1991 and relating to the Orangery, Pemberton House and the Milnes family. The notes described the separate positioning of the Orangery to be due to Pemberton House being closely surrounded by yards and cottages. Pemberton Milnes established a garden on the far side of back lane (Thornborrow, P.H. (WYAS). 1991. Notes: 'Historic buildings consultation response. No. 122 Westgate and Orangery, Back Lane, Wakefield').
WYAAS archives holds plans and elevation drawings dating to 1994 and depict the Orangery and nearby 'Caretaker's House' (see PRN 12958) (Richard Collick Associates (Architects). 1994).
The Orangery was the subject of a planning application in 2004 for 'Refurbishment of The Orangery with a single storey extension to rear and single storey new build' (Wakefield Council planning reference number 04/99/47903/P). Peter Thornborrow (Senior Historic Buildings Officer) provided the consultation response. Thornborrow described this building as an unusual Georgian Orangery built a little distance from the house to which it relates. The date is variously suggested, ranging from the 1760s to 1790s. The decoration of the central frieze with swags of husks and paterae is in the style of Robert Adam, similar in style to Adam's 1765 75 decoration at Nostell. The property is a well balanced architectural composition featuring a major element balanced by two minor elements, a feature typical of mid to late 18th century Georgian architecture. Thornborrow suggested that this might indeed be the works of Adam. In Thornborrow’s view, the building dated to 1780 when the owner Pemberton Milnes was expanding his property portfolio.
Thornborrow had no problems to the proposed restoration but considered the proposed extension to be damaging to the setting of this listed building, recommending that the new builds be set further back/away from the principal building. The overt modernism of the designs did not sit happily with the simple and elegant lines of the original building.
(Thornborrow, P.H. 2004. Consultation response to Wakefield Council planning reference number 04/99/47903/P. The Orangery, Back Lane, Wakefield). |