HKA are specialists in listed building and heritage architecture and restoration, complex planning permissions and disability access. We are proud to have twice been called on to work with the luxurious Grade II listed Cavendish Hotel in Baslow.
Our expertise has transformed two of the hotel’s spaces and increased accessibility for guests with mobility issues.
HKA was firstly engaged to develop a strategic plan for the hotel site, which fitted with the aims of the Chatsworth Estate and Devonshire Hotels & Restaurants.
Our vision was to increase bedroom capacity and accessibility, and to ensure the restaurant offering was of a sufficient scale.
THE COACH HOUSE
Our first project was to seek permission to bring a tired old Coach House in the grounds into the hotel portfolio. The building (below) had been a residential let for many years.
This was not a simple process, as the original inn is Grade II listed, meaning the rest of the site was curtilage-listed.
Peak District National Park (PDNPA) planners strive to avoid overdevelopment of sites within their National Park and allow only appropriate development.
We approached PDNPA’s team with respect and openness and during 12 months of discussion were able to gain their understanding of the hotel’s urgent need to improve its accessibility for guests with mobility issues. Accessible bedrooms were required, and access routes through the hotel needed to be improved.
HKA’s master plan outlined how transforming the Coach House into a four-bed accommodation annexe could incorporate two fully-accessible guest rooms.
To ensure each of the four en-suite bedrooms were spacious and could enjoy stunning views of the surrounding countryside, the practice designed a tasteful two-storey extension on the coach house’s south wall and a single storey extension on the east elevation, which both look out over the grounds of Chatsworth House.
The scheme was approved and the project was completed in 2018.
Original architectural features have been highlighted to great effect. The 18th century oak roof trusses were exposed, deep window recesses became window seats and ceilings in the two characterful first-floor bedrooms were opened up to the rafters.
New floors fully sound-proofed with high-tech insulation materials were installed.
The fully wheelchair-accessible ground floor rooms are thoughtfully laid out, with wide doorways, large en-suites featuring walk-in, floor-level showers and baths. Mobility features have been carefully positioned for safety yet remain unobtrusive.
The Coach House has two electric car charging points and an external plant room houses all heating and water controls.
In 2019, the Coach House project saw HKA highly commended Best Restoration of An Historic Building in An Urban Setting at the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust Architecture Awards.
THE GARDEN ROOM
Our expertise was again called on in 2020, when a small, conservatory-style garden room at the rear of the hotel was earmarked for transformation.
The simple, timber and glass building dated back to the 1990s and could seat only 20 diners (see image below). The building, and its small patio area, were difficult for people with mobility issues to access.
HKA immediately recognised this project’s potential to transform mobility access for the entire ground floor of the hotel.
We created an outstanding design for a large and elegant Garden Room, bordered by a sweeping outdoor terrace which would take full advantage of the stunning views over Chatsworth. Crucially, the terrace provides one-level access into the hotel’s restaurants and reception – up to that point, access required the negotiation of steps.
A classic, pavilion-style design was created after careful consultation with the Devonshire Hotel and Restaurant Group and also a complex planning process with the Peak District National Park Planning Authority, which wished to ensure the replacement building remained in keeping with the original Grade II listed coaching inn at the core of the hotel, and also had a positive impact – on both the heritage setting, and accessibility.
Construction began in January 2023 with the installation of new kitchens and lasted 18 weeks, under the exacting project-management of HK Architecture and Chatsworth Settlement Trustees,
Supported by a steel frame, a timber structure was hand-made by Derbyshire heritage construction specialists H.A. Briddon.
As part of an ongoing drive by Devonshire Hotels & Restaurants to develop renewable energy methods across its portfolio, air-source heat pumps were installed for heating and cooling.
The stunning new Garden Room restaurant can now seat 42 and on summer days, its floor to ceiling glass windows and doors open out onto the terrace, extending the dining capacity to 80.
Steps were removed on the route from the car park to the terrace and replaced with ramps, enabling guests with mobility issues to access the entire ground floor of the hotel with ease.
