Although the house has been kept in good condition, its running costs are prohibitively expensive. Restoration, and securing a suitable new use for the estate, is essential to preserve its historical structures and ensure the estate has a use which can maintain it in the years to come.
Hackwood Park is of national heritage importance, with a history dating back to the 13th century. It features a Grade II* listed main house, Grade I listed parks and gardens, and several other listed structures.
We aim to restore the estate and transform it into a country house hotel, including expanding accommodation, adding spa facilities, converting the stable block, and restoring the amphitheatre for cultural events.
The restoration plans will open up the estate and create a stunning hotel, complete with food and beverage, and spa and wellness facilities, as well as space for a small number of cultural events in the restored outdoor woodland amphitheatre.
The new development will maintain the traditional look and feel of Hackwood Park. We are committed to preserving the estate’s historic character, ensuring that any updates or additions are true to the original design. While there will be necessary enhancements to meet modern needs, the overall appearance of the house and its surroundings will remain largely unchanged.
Our plans involve careful restoration of historical features and thoughtful integration of new facilities that complement the estate’s character. We work closely with heritage experts to ensure preservation.
No, new additions are designed to blend seamlessly with the existing architecture, enhancing rather than overshadowing the estate’s historical elements.
The public footpaths through Hackwood Park will remain a public right of way, and there are no plans to change or remove this route.
We are conducting a comprehensive environmental impact assessment to understand the potential effects of our development on the estate’s biodiversity. Our plans will at least meet, if not surpass, requirements for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), ensuring that we not only protect but also enhance local habitats.
For hotel guests, a small underground car park will be provided beneath one of the paddocks at the stables building. Visitor and public parking will be provided outside the listed estate off Dickens Lane, along with a separate staff facility. We do not expect significant numbers of vehicles visiting the estate on a daily basis so there will be no impact on the local road network.
We will develop a comprehensive construction traffic management plan to carefully schedule deliveries and heavy vehicle movements during off-peak hours, reducing disruption to local roads and residents. Additionally, we are committed to sustainable practices in managing construction materials. Where possible, spoil from basement excavation will be re-used on site—topsoil will be sieved and repurposed for flower beds, while chalky stone will be crushed and used to resurface paths in keeping with the site’s historical character. The nature of the fine craftsmanship required for the project also means that much of the work will be carried out by smaller specialist trades, reducing the need for large-scale machinery and high levels of construction traffic. These measures will help to limit vehicle movements and ensure a more considerate approach to the surrounding environment.
We have recently submitted our application to Basingstoke and Dean Council, we expect it to be validated in the coming weeks, all documents will be available on the planning portal. Presuming that the planning process proceeds smoothly, we would expect to start work towards the end of 2025.
We anticipate a 2.5year construction programme.
It is too early to say exactly, though we are targeting sometime in 2028.
Maybourne is committed to being a responsible and considerate member of the local community. We have great experience of developing and successfully implementing comprehensive management plans to ensure that our operations, including events, do not have a detrimental impact on neighbours or the wider area. We anticipate a small number of events being held at the estate, for example, music recitals, theatre or opera performances, potentially up to 20 per year. These will be strictly controlled by the Council’s licensing regime.
As a hotel, our primary interest is in providing quiet enjoyment of the estate to guests, and guests have many of the same needs as our neighbours, it is therefore in the interests of the management to ensure no activity causes disruption or disturbance. The ongoing success of the hotel also requires the support of the local community, particularly in consideration of licensing conditions and restrictions. Through the development and operation of the hotel, the team will maintain an open line of communication with the community, welcoming feedback and proactively addressing any concerns.