Cressing Temple: "slight improvement but no real change"

Cressing Temple: Verdict on ECC -
"slight improvement but no real change"

One of our members writes: 

"The good thing is that the casual visitor, the traveller from Yorks, Holland, USA etc, interested in barns or Templars or buildings (and people do turn up who have come a long way), who drops in between April and October, will have access to the the buildings as in theory there will be a member of staff who will open them in the morning and then padlock them at the end of the day.  But there will be no advice, guide books, wands, or other information, or anything to make them feel at all welcome.  The other type of casual visitor who wants to look at the gardens during the seasons, or wants some brief diversion, will in the absence of refreshment or information or a welcome feel positively discouraged.

"Whilst this is a welcome development, it does not really change the situation. The press release was misleading, as explained by Elphin Watkin.  So on the blog, you could say slight improvement but no real change."

Another writes: 

"Visit Britain say that people will stay at an attraction if there is - excuse the phrasing - 'a view, a loo, and a brew'.  The closure of refreshment facilities at Cressing Temple means that one of the three elements is missing.  Such places are handy stops for people who don't want to go to a pub, for walkers, or for coach and minibus parties.  As yourself: why do garden centres these days have eating facilities and toilets? Isn't it obvious: people will stay longer and spend longer. 

"'Slight improvement but no real change'. That is what my optician tells me.  Essex County Council's decision is clearly short sighted."

Two Views on Cressing Temple

The Braintree and Witham Times (4 March 2014) has reported a U-turn by Essex County Council on restricted opening times at Cressing Temple. (See http://www.braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk/news/braintree_witham_news/11041956.Concerns_remain_over_future_of_Cressing_Temple_despite_U_turn_on_opening_hours_cut/ .)  The Essex Society for Archaeology and History has received the press release and response from Elphin Watkin, a member of the ESAH Council and President of HEARS. 

Two Views of Cressing Temple:

Wheat Barn: Cressing Temple

County Council Press release 21/02/2014.

Great year ahead for Cressing Temple

Cressing Temple - a medieval moated farmstead boasting the oldest timber-framed barns in the world - has a busy year ahead welcoming tourists, hosting school visits, and organising public and private events, following a recent operational review.

Full details of Cressing Temple’s attractions and public events, including the Essex County Car and Motorcycle Show (13 July) and Tudors Live (5-19 August), are available at www.visitparks.co.uk/places/cressing-temple.

During the peak period (1 April to 31 October) the site will continue to open from 10.30am to 4.30pm, and access to the barns will continue to be available from 10.30 until 4.00pm each day.

The site will continue to close to the public during periods of exclusive site hire.

During the winter months (1 November to 31 March) there will be access to the grounds. The walled garden will be open for pre-arranged visits.

Following the operational review, the visitor centre and tearoom are to open only for site hire events by prior arrangement.

Staff are currently being recruited to new positions at the site.

County Councillor John Jowers, Cabinet member for Libraries, Communities and Planning, said: “At Cressing Temple visitors can discover an interesting range of rural barns, and admire a Tudor herb garden, all set in glorious countryside between Witham and Braintree - it’s well worth a visit.”

ENDS

View No 2:  Barley Barn, Cressing Temple

Comment on press release by Elphin Watkin:

The busy year is with less staff - all untrained.

Who will welcome all these tourists as all the facilities have been withdrawn?

No information, no staff to question, no “wands” to tell them the story of Cressing.  School visits will be no more than at present. Some public and private events have already been cancelled because of the indifference of the Council when questioned over the future of Cressing.

Further to that events will now cost considerably more to organise at Cressing with a new scale of extra charges to be added to any hiring. The public and private events mentioned are only what was already organised before County decided to down-rate Cressing last October. The events are ones organised by others for the benefit of the County. Notice that the website has only had added the detail that the tea room is only available for events – no mention of no reception or café for casual visitors.

The opening times were only announced at the end of last week. Up to then County were adamant that the buildings would only be open to the public at weekends.

The site has always been closed to general entry when a privately booked event is present.  The release suggests that the Walled Garden is only open for pre-arranged visits. It is open at all times: the site is open and volunteers are welcome to help run it.

The new staff will be new to Cressing and not understand the site and its very special needs as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

By John Jowers statement you have to wonder if he has ever been there! “Rural” barns – they are all over the country but the two barns at Cressing are unique survivals from the thirteenth century. The garden is more than a herb garden having over 1800 different plants all of which have a use. The site has other garden areas and good walks around the moats and trees and it deserves the attention that county promised it when they took the site on in the first place.

The press release makes no mention of the state of the site and especially the exhibits in the various buildings around the site that are badly in need of attention.

From the press release you would think that County had just invested a lot of money into Cressing not just cut its throat.

Cressing Temple

Our President, Mark Davies, reports on the bleak future of Cressing Temple in the last edition of the Essex Society for Archaeology and History Newsletter.  It is ironic that when visitor numbers to our county are rising that Essex County Council are making people on the site redundant. For more follow this link. 

Cressing Temple: The Tudor Garden

David Andrews writes: 

The Tudor garden at Cressing Temple, Essex.  A Friends Group formed

The great medieval barns at Cressing Temple have been dominant features of the landscape of this part of central Essex for 800 years.  This was one of the most valuable manors of the Knights Templar, and later the Hospitallers when the Templars were suppressed in 1312, and the barns are witness to their agricultural enterprise and the technical skill of their carpenters.  It was here that Cecil Hewett carried out some of his early studies on medieval carpentry, and argued that they were much older than previously thought.  His theories have been supported by tree-ring dating, which shows the Barley Barn to be the oldest known timber barn, built between 1235-50. 

The importance of the barns was the motivation for Essex County Council to buy them when the estate was sold in 1987.  But the county acquired much more than just the barns.  There was farmhouse, farm buildings and a walled garden.  The two initial tasks were to understand and research what they now owned, and to carry out necessary repairs.  The third was to explain and display the site as a heritage attraction for the people of Essex.  When in their turn the Hospitallers in England were dissolved at the Reformation, the manor was acquired by Sir John Smyth and remained in his family until 1657.  The Smyths replaced the Templars timber hall and stone chambers with a great brick mansion of the sort typical of the Tudor period.  In the 18th century, a later non-resident owner rented the estate to a farmer and the house was taken down brick and has totally disappeared, though its site has been excavated. 

All that remains of this period of Tudor splendour is the walled garden which stood behind the mansion.  Originally a pleasure garden, it had later been used as a kitchen garden.  This was an asset that cried out for something to be made of it, and so the idea was born of creating a new Tudor garden which would become one of the attractions of the site.  An archaeological excavation to identify any remains of the original garden was not very informative, but did show that there had been a raised brick terrace along one side of it, and brick paving round parts of its perimeter.  The new garden was designed by John Hunter and Martin Wakelin, both sadly no longer with us.  It was based on an accurate study of gardens of the period, and included no features or plants which would have been introduced after 1600.  A timber viewing platform on one partially reconstructed the original brick terrace.  It looks over a knot garden towards the focal structure of the garden, a brick fountain with four spouts representing the four rivers of paradise.  From the fountain a rill leads to a still pool.  To one side of the knot garden is the arbour or covered walkway covered with climbing plants.  The rest of the garden is divided into compartments typical of the period, including a nosegay garden with scented plants, beds with medicinal herbs, a potager or formal vegetable garden, and a flowery mead.

The garden was a considerable achievement, unique in the county and probably East Anglia, and has been popular with the public.  However, in the straitened economic circumstances of the last few years, maintenance has become an issue, prompting an initiative, sponsored by the Essex Gardens Trust, to set up a Friends Group.  The County Council has welcomed this development and approved a constitution, which envisages the group working to promote the gardens, to generate funds, and provide practical help through volunteering. 

For more information on Cressing Temple, go to www.cressingtemple.co.uk.

For information about the Friends of Cressing Temple Gardens, contact David Andrews (dormerandrews@gmail.com) or Christine Barrett (crbarrett@blueyonder.co.uk).

Cressing Temple: Essex County Council 'Charter'

John Hayward, Secretary of Essex Society for Archaeology and History writes: "Attached is a scan of the document that Essex County Council issued after it took over Cressing Temple.  Could it be posted on the blog for information?"

Proposals for Cressing Temple (from 2014) could not be more different.

The Cressing Temple Charter

Essex County Council having become the custodian

of Cressing Temple on behalf of the people of Essex

declares that:

The site will be used as a focus for the County's heritage

The skills and crafts that went into the construction and

creation of the buildings, gardens and landscape will be

preserved, demonstrated and explained.

Opportunities for learning and research offered by a site of

such importance will be used to enable present and

future generations to be aware of the County's history

and their personal relationship with it

The buildings and grounds will be made available

for public use and enjoyment

Cressing Temple: "We are consulting employees ... in order to reduce the subsidy required to manage the site"

Following revelations about the drastic cuts proposed by Essex County Council to the Cressing Temple heritage site, members of the Essex Society for Archaeology and History have written to their local County Councillors, Members of Parliament and, where appropriate District Councillors of Braintree DC. 

The Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP serves the Essex constituency of Brentwood and Ongar, also holding the Cabinet post of Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.  It is his department which is handing down the drastic cuts to the public sector.   In a response to a member the MP has enclosed a letter from Cllr David Finch, the political Leader of Essex County Council.  The text is repeated in full below.

Letter

Essex County Council

Leaders Office

PO Box 11,

County Hall

Chelmsford

Essex

CM1 1LX

Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP

Member of Parliament for Brentwood and Ongar

House of Commons

London

SW1A OAA

25 November 2013

Dear Eric

Re: Cressing Temple

Thank you for your email dated 6 November 2013 regarding the above.

Essex County Council (ECC) is committed to continuing to deliver its services in Green Assets at a time when we face unprecedented financial challenges. Reduced funding from central government, together with the impact of inflation and increasing demands for services mean the council needs to save a further £215m by 2016/17. As a consequence, we are identifying opportunities to operate differently, while continuing to deliver services wherever possible. On 23rd October we started a formal consultation period with employees at Cressing Temple Barns. We are consulting with our employees on proposals to implement a new operating model, in order to reduce the subsidy required to manage the site.

Our proposal recommends a series of changes which if implemented, will mean:

• The site is open every weekend from April through to the end of October;

• The site is open every day of the school summer holidays;

• Grounds will be open for informal access during weekdays between April and October, but the visitor centre and associated facilities will remain closed; and

• The site will continue to open for planned events and room hires from November to April, as scheduled.

These options are subject to feedback following the end of employee consultation which will end on 6 December 2013.

If implemented, we anticipate the new operating model will be live from April 2014.

ECC will continue to be committed to ensuring this valuable site, its grounds and barns are maintained and protected for future generations. We will continue to promote awareness and understanding of this valuable heritage site.

Thank you for drawing this matter to my attention and I trust the above has provided you with sufficient clarification into the current position.

Regards

Cllr David Finch

Leader of the Council

Comment

The most interesting paragraph in the whole letter is this: “We are consulting with our employees on proposals to implement a new operating model, in order to reduce the subsidy required to manage the site.” 

Essex County Council faces the challenge of reducing its budget by £215m by 2016/17, representing an ongoing and relentless round of cuts in grant announced in this year’s Government Comprehensive Spending Review.  The economy is now growing but there is a political philosophy to create a thin public sector.  This emphasis means it becomes inevitable that things which do not make money – where expenditure exceeds income – and require a subsidy to operate face reductions or closure.  We are seeing this across the history, heritage and archaeology sector.  Our Society member commented to Mr Pickles that these are the very things important to a society’s understanding, identity and wellbeing and that society, community and individuals are diminished when opportunities to engage in the past are lost. 

Consultation with employees, which the Leader of Essex County Council refers to, is in all probability with those in the ‘at risk’ category: at risk of redundancy.  The Leader does not mention the staff losses which will result as a consequence of the decimation of service at Cressing Temple.  This is not public consultation at all.  Once leaders in the field of heritage and related fields are lost there exists a downward spiral of professional expertise which is difficult to plug by the enthusiast.  To be fair, the Leader has daunting political choices to make.  We have to question Government policy.  It leads to a society which knows the cost of everything but the value of nothing. 

Save Cressing Temple

ECC limit access to historic site

The Braintree and Witham Times has published an item about Cressing Temple's cuts to staff and access imposed by Essex County Council (see earlier post).  Elphin Watkin, a member of this Society (Essex Society for Archaeology and History) says that this is an insult to our war dead because substantial funding was forthcoming from the National Heritage Memorial Fund to preserve the site. Full article: http://www.braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk/news/braintree_witham_news/10809923.Braintree__Cressing_Temple_cutbacks_plan__insulting_to_war_dead_/

Cressing Temple: Does this look like a Country Park?

Wheat Barn at Cressing Temple 

We have also sent a letter to each councillor. Matthew Saunders has informed the National Heritage Memorial Fund. As it is Remembrance week it is also memorable that the NHMF was set up after the last war to save the most important historic buildings, art and landscape for the Nation and was funded by government from our taxes to act as a permanent memory to the War Dead. Also if one tries to find Cressing from the ECC site – one goes through to country parks and each has its own web page only Cressing page is not available – gone already!

Elphin & Brenda

Replied: 

Yes, you are right. The Cressing Temple webpage has changed since I found the link to it when I published your item on Tuesday (48 hours or so ago).  A really sad situation that such a great site is relegated to being in Essex Country Parks too. 

Andrew

Cressing Temple: follow up

Cathedral-like Cressing Temple's Barley Barn

News of potential restriction of access by Essex County Council to Cressing Temple has brought the following response:

DA writes: "If everyone could write to their county councillors that would be a help, and District councillors if living in the Braintree District.  And to Simon Thurley or Greg Luton at English Heritage."

Comment:

What a shame to restrict access to these cathedral like buildings. To leave the site closed and unmanned in winter is pure madness.

Regards,

Diana Dollery

Breaking News: Essex County Council in drastic measures to cut access to famous Cressing Temple Site

Cressing Temple Site
(taken April 2007)

THE FUTURE OF CRESSING TEMPLE SITE: A "DEATH KNELL"

Essex County Council have earmarked nearly £1m for new furniture for County Hall. However against this spend in times of austerity consultations have started to cut staff at Cressing Temple from 10 full-time with 2 part-time to 3 part-time and one of those a gardener. The site will be under severe limitations regarding full opening times, including buildings, from April to October. These will be limited to weekends except during the school summer holidays with ‘informal’ access to the site during the week but no access to shop or cafe which will remain closed. The rest of the year, November to March, the site will be closed and no one living on site.

What an effective way to serve the death knell on this extremely important historic site. A Templar site that can be said to be unparalleled in Europe if not the world, containing two 13^th century barns and a well together with a range of other buildings of subsequent ages that continued the working farm.

Barley Barn, Cressing Temple

When the site came under threat in the 1980s ECC had money from the National Heritage Memorial Fund to buy and safeguard the site.  The Cressing Temple Charter produced and signed by Paul White, later Lord Hanningfield, reads:

“Essex County Council having become custodians of Cressing Temple on behalf of the people of Essex declares that:

The site will be used as a focus for the County’s heritage

Inside the magnificent Barley Barn,
Cressing Temple

The skills and crafts that went into the construction and creation of the buildings, gardens and landscape will be preserved, demonstrated and explained

Opportunities for learning and research offered by a site of such importance will be used to enable present and future generations to be aware of the County’s history and their personal relationship to it

The buildings and grounds will be made available for public use and enjoyment”

Despite this clear intent the site, opened by Chris Patten and enjoying numerous Royal visits, has, since being vested in Country Parks sidelined and undergone the process of ‘dumming’ down to a country park. Even work to repair the trellis in the garden, a contract won by Country Parks has not been honoured. Cressing was never envisaged as a money spinner ECC had become custodians of the site and were committed to protect it for the people of Essex.

We hope that you will take time to write to the press, Essex County Council or any other person or society that will support the aim to protect and allow the site and buildings to continue in the way envisaged by the charter.

Elphin & Brenda Watkin. 4 NOV 2013