The challenges of running Grade II* listed country house Braxted Park

By Jim Sales Account Executive

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Why a 4.5-mile brick wall is the bane of my life. Duncan Clark reveals the challenges of running Grade II* listed country house Braxted Park, in Essex.

While visitors find themselves charmed by Braxted Park’s tree-lined drive with sweeping views of a red-brick Georgian mansion with unusual octagonal-paned sash windows, owners Duncan and Nicky Clark work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep their country home up and running.

Image credit: Braxted Park

The house and parkland are of special historic interest, listed Grade II* with a Grade II four-and-a-half-mile brick wall. The estate has been home to the Clark family since Sir Allen Clark acquired it in 1947.

Originally, a deer park, the house at Braxted Park was built by Peter Du Cane who commissioned architect Sir Robert Taylor in 1750. His son, also called Peter, spent many years on the Grand Tour of Europe, and when he inherited the house in 1802 added features influenced by his travels including the lakes and a cave/hermitage (which was probably used as a game larder) modelled on Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli, Italy. His son, another Peter, took over the house in 1855 and was responsible for building the brick wall.

After World War I the house was sold to William Boulton in 1919, who then sold it to Sir Allen who bought it on behalf Plessey Company in 1947. Duncan Clark’s father, Michael Clark CBE DL. bought the property as a private house in 1965 and Duncan inherited it in 1994.

Duncan says: “We have five businesses here and that income has saved the estate. Although I have to say that the four-and-a-half-mile brick wall is the bane of my life.”

He explains: “My budget for repairing the wall was £1.2 million. It’s three courses thick and as soon as I have restored it, the wall falls down again. Salt that’s spread on the roads in bad weather doesn’t help as it erodes the mortar.

“The coping stones have been the target of thieves so I have marked them on the inside. If anyone is found with them it will be obvious where they have come from, and with a thick yellow stripe on them they have no value so no-one steals them!

“However, that is nothing compared to the upkeep of the house. The events business brings in 50 per cent of our income through hosting 120-130 weddings a year as well as corporate parties, conferences, and charity events.

“We have a permanent marquee in the walled garden which has been up-and-running since 2005.

“We also have the farm, a nine-hole golf course which my grandfather Sir Allen created in the 1950s, office space, cottage rentals, and a pheasant and partridge shoot which also contribute to our income.”

Environmental commitment

Environmental stewardship is one of Duncan’s main tasks, restoring the parkland to its 19^th century glory by introducing wild grasses and plants, as well as protecting ancient oaks through a process called haloing (a gradual technique freeing the tree’s crown to give it more light).

A further 100 acres outside the brick wall have been taken out of production as Duncan concentrates on biodiversity, with another 200 acres planned for Biodiversity Net Gain Credits leaving the remaining 800 acres of agricultural land in farming.

He said: “This is nothing new at Braxted Park; it’s an extension of something my father and I did in the late 1980s when we completely stopped farming. This was because the European Economic Community (EEC) paid farmers for ‘set-aside.’ This dealt with the costly surpluses produced in Europe under the guaranteed price system of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Image credit: Braxted Park

“We did this for ten years and in the next decade we did the same under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. By then, a number of areas had rescrubbed and become a haven for wildlife such as nightingales and turtle doves. These little pockets of rewilding fitted into the Biodiversity Net Gain policy, created to support farmers when the UK came out of Europe.

“Our land is not particularly good – a mix of clay and gravel – so we now have sheep and cattle so the land is being lightly managed, Soon we’ll have a stretch of 200 acres given over to biodiversity with managed scrub, trees, wild grasses, and plants.

“There is another scheme in Essex called the Big Green Internet (thebiggreeninternet.co.uk) to plant wildlife corridors and hedgerow to connect isolated ancient woodlands that once ran 100 miles from Clacton to Epping. As I am making a corridor here, the idea is to get my neighbours to do the same – I’m very excited about this and we need to get everyone talking and working together.”

Image credit: Braxted Park

History of art

Duncan Clark’s father was a serious art collector and the house holds a collection of early 20^th century drawings in the hall and a collection of 18^th century English portraiture in the dining room. There’s many contemporary pieces thoughtfully placed around the house.

“Visitors can view Braxted Park’s art collection during our four-day Art at the Park, in aid of Home-Start Essex; when we’re hosting an exhibition of more than 65 artists’ work that will be displayed throughout the house, supported by Chestnut and Howden.

“There has always been a history of art in the family; my father won the art prize at Harrow and my son Fred won the art prize at Eton. He’s now a professional artist and his wife, Claudia Legge, is a photographic artist. My wife Nicky is also an artist and exhibits her work under her birth name, Nicky Brown.

“They will all be exhibiting at Art at the Park – a unique contemporary art show featuring established and sought-after names alongside new and emerging talent. Original art, sculpture, prints, glass, and ceramics will be on sale with all proceeds going to Home-Start Essex.

“Hosting the event was something we were naturally inclined to support as we have this family connection with art and we like to use the house for charities we hold close to our heart.

“Our first event when we opened the marquee for events was a ball in aid of Home-Start Essex, so it has gone full circle within a couple of decades. We hope to attract both new and regular visitors to Braxted Park where they can support a worthwhile charity and have a chance to buy original pieces of art and sculpture within the historic backdrop of Braxted Park.”

Art at the Park runs from 1-4 February, 2024 at Braxted Park, Great Braxted, near Witham, CM8 3EN

Tickets from artatthepark.co.uk or www.eventbrite.co.uk

About Home-Start Essex

Home-Start Essex is a family support charity, which helps give children the best start in life by supporting parents and caregivers, building their confidence and finding ways to manage the challenges they face so they feel less isolated. Home-Start Essex creates trusting, helpful relationships with families and delivers a range of support to meet individual needs, including volunteer-led home visiting, family groups, wellbeing services, school-readiness, and behaviour support programmes.

Visit home-startessex.org.uk

The challenges of running Grade II* listed country house Braxted Park

Environmental commitment

History of art

About Home-Start Essex

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