Little St Mary’s on The Street, in Bramber, near Steyning, will undergo extensive repair work after permission was granted by Horsham District Council.
The works include replacing the roof structure and tiles, removing a chimney stack, and reconfiguring the internal layout.
The plans also allow for a change from a cement floor to a traditional limecrete floor, cleaning of painted timbers, and the installation of permeable internal wall insulation.
Upgrades to external landscaping to improve water drainage are also included.
The property, first built around 1470, has a long royal and literary history.
It is rumoured that Queen Elizabeth I stayed there and that King Charles II hid in the house as he escaped to France during the English Civil War.
The house was owned in the 1890s by Algernon Bourke, who, along with his wife, are said to be the inspiration for two of the characters in Oscar Wilde’s famous play, The Importance of Being Earnest, which the author wrote while staying on Worthing seafront.
Almost one hundred years later in 1988, filming for an episode of series 25 of Doctor Who, entitled Silver Nemesis, took place at the house.
The property was restored in recent years by composer, author and historian Peter Thorogood and his life partner, Roger Linton, who purchased the derelict house in 1984.
Both men were awarded MBEs by Queen Elizabeth II for their efforts in transforming the building and its gardens.
A newly-planted King’s Garden was opened by the queen’s cousin, Princess Alexandra, in 2017.
An application for the work said that it was clear that the repairs are necessary and in some cases urgent, in order to preserve the special interest of the Grade II listed building.
Little St Mary’s on The Street, in Bramber, near Steyning, will undergo extensive repair work after permission was granted by Horsham District Council.
The works include replacing the roof structure and tiles, removing a chimney stack, and reconfiguring the internal layout.
The plans also allow for a change from a cement floor to a traditional limecrete floor, cleaning of painted timbers, and the installation of permeable internal wall insulation.
Upgrades to external landscaping to improve water drainage are also included.
The property, first built around 1470, has a long royal and literary history.
It is rumoured that Queen Elizabeth I stayed there and that King Charles II hid in the house as he escaped to France during the English Civil War.
The house was owned in the 1890s by Algernon Bourke, who, along with his wife, are said to be the inspiration for two of the characters in Oscar Wilde’s famous play, The Importance of Being Earnest, which the author wrote while staying on Worthing seafront.
Almost one hundred years later in 1988, filming for an episode of series 25 of Doctor Who, entitled Silver Nemesis, took place at the house.
The property was restored in recent years by composer, author and historian Peter Thorogood and his life partner, Roger Linton, who purchased the derelict house in 1984.
Both men were awarded MBEs by Queen Elizabeth II for their efforts in transforming the building and its gardens.
A newly-planted King’s Garden was opened by the queen’s cousin, Princess Alexandra, in 2017.
An application for the work said that it was clear that the repairs are necessary and in some cases urgent, in order to preserve the special interest of the Grade II listed building.
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