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This £1million Georgian restoration has opened its 18th century doors to the public to stay.
Cobham Dairy has been restored by The Landmark Trust and converted into self-catered holiday accommodation priced at £482 for four nights for two people.
The award-winning James Wyatt designed the property, which was built in 1794 and can be found in the grounds of the Elizabethan Cobham Hall, now a girl's school, in Gravesend.
It was originally built to represent a tiny chapel topped with a bell tower with four corner pavilions and has a central chamber set behind various cloisters and an open loggia – an outdoor walkway with a roof, that faces towards the Hall.
Wyatt was one of the most popular architects of his time, known for his romantic country houses and responsible for the Neoclassical Pantheon in Oxford Street.
He also worked on Windsor Castle and Westminster Abbey.
The Dairy is a Grade II* listed building of Gothic-revival architecture thought to be the product of the 4th Earl of Darnley's wife Elizabeth Brownlow's feminine influence.
Dating back to 1208 the manor's main hall was remodelled in 1584 by the Lord of Cobham into the house that still exists today.
The ornamental estate building, which was the architectural fashion in the 18th century, had been sitting abandoned and unused throughout the 20th century and was in a poor state of repair.
The Landmark Trust first came upon the historic site in the 1990s when it was found boarded up and covered in low hanging trees after decades of neglect.
It was not until 2014 that it began work on the luxury million pound project.
Using Wyatt's original drawings and his work on Cobham Hall they researched the slate cladding technique to transform the brickwork into a convincing imitation of the stone and were able to salvage some slates.
They recreated the interior plasterwork on the ceilings that were almost entirely gone, re-made lost stained glass windows with red, yellow and blue borders to match the hallway in Cobham Hall, re-slated the roof and repaired the Portland stone flooring.
The rooms have now been adapted for people to stay in, with underfloor heating installed.
The recent renovation has even won an award at The Georgian Group Architectural Awards 2021 for the re-use of a Georgian building.
The awards celebrate those who have shown vision and commitment to restore Georgian buildings and landscapes to create new work in spirit of the era.
John Goodall, architectural editor at Country Life, said: "After all the difficulties of the last 18 months these awards are particularly inspiring. They are also testimony to the perennial importance, interest and quality of our Georgian heritage."
Other winners include Nithurst Farm, West Sussex, The Con Club, Framlingham, Suffolk and The Bath Stone Bridge, Halswell Park, Somerset, amongst others.
Crispin Holborow, country director of Savills private office and member of the judging panel, said: "We see on a daily basis how much Georgian architecture appeals to our clients. It is a significant part of our heritage and its preservation is immensely important, which is why we are honoured to return as sponsors of the Georgian Group Architectural Awards."
For more information or to book a stay at the Dairy click here.
