Manor in limbo as experts study dry rot problem (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Manor in limbo as experts study dry rot problem

EXPERTS are preparing to visit Toddington Manor amid fears that the gothic pile may be worse hit by dry rot than expected.

The manor, which is on the market after lying empty for about 20 years, is due to be inspected by Tewkesbury Borough Council and English Heritage early next month.

Dr Sarah Lewis, borough council conservation officer, said: "We have concerns about the spread of dry rot in the building which appears as though it could be rather more extensive than it was previously thought."

She added that the worries were sparked after the manor was visited by a timber specialist, who identified areas hidden from view that could be affected.

"Other issues that need to be resolved include water coming through the roof in one form or another. There have been patch repairs but the state of the building would give any potential purchaser cause for concern."

The manor has languished on the market since 1997 with a price tag of £3.25million.

Peter Britten at the Chipping Campden office of estate agent Jackson-Stops & Staff, said negotiations were continuing with potential buyers. "Contracts are out but I cannot make any other comment at the moment. The property is still being actively marketed although it is under offer. Nothing is certain in this world until contracts are exchanged."

The building has been vacant since it closed as a residential college for wealthy Middle-Easterners about 20 years ago.

In 2003 villagers united against plans by Warner Hotels to convert the manor into a luxury hotel with 235 bedrooms.

The 43,000sq-ft property, which has 125 acres of grounds, also caught the attention of a New Age group, which suggested using the manor as the base for a 'community of light'.

The house was built between 1817 and 1830 by Charles Hanbury-Tracy, a Tewkesbury MP who became the first Baron Sudeley of Toddington. Hanbury-Tracy, an amateur architect, was on the committee that chose the design for the Houses of Parliament.