SAVE THIS HOUSE: Norman Petty outside Rackmead in Weymouth which could be demolished to make way for a new home
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to try and save one of the oldest family homes in Watery Lane, Weymouth, from demolition.
Rackmead is a detached period house which is believed to date back to at least the 1840s.
But Weymouth and Portland planners have recently received an application from Oakenstead Estates to demolish Rackmead and build a new home with a garage in its place.
Now retired BP technician Norman Petty, of Broadwey, Weymouth, has launched a campaign to try and save the character house from being demolished.
He said: "I know it is a not a grand house or anything like that but it is a very important part of old Broadwey.
"I feel that it is so historically important that it is an absolute shame that it should ever have been considered for demolition. The house is an important part of the character of old Broadwey."
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In the past Rackmead was a market garden and plant nursery, the grounds benefiting from the planting of many trees and shrubs including some unusual species. Some are notable including one yew which was already a tree of grand stature' in a photograph taken in 1900.
Mr Petty said Rackmead was also in an area of outstanding natural beauty and was so close to the Upwey Conservation Area that the boundary ran right past the house gate. He is now contacting a variety of groups who he hopes will back his campaign, one of which is Weymouth Civic Society whose spokesman Derek Cope pledged their support.
He said: "I think that it would be a pity to lose this house. It is still a very useable home and the rooms are actually quite large. We would certainly support any campaign to save it."
A council spokesman said: "This scheme is still at the public consultation stage and is currently due to be delegated for planning officers to decide the application."
The Echo contacted Paul Cullen of Oakenstead Estates about the bid to demolish Rackmead and build a new home on the site but he said: "I don't wish to discuss this."
Posted by: Fiona Robinson, Broadwey on 5:42pm Fri 21 Mar 08
It was with some trepidation after the sale at auction of Rackmead in Watery Lane that I saw that the site had been sealed by metal gates. Apparently pre-empting any planning permission Goadsby was already advertising ‘two brand new houses coming soon’ on boards alongside the site. Finally it appears that an application has been submitted to demolish this lovely historic house which, for many people, sheltered behind its high hedges surrounded by its secret garden has long been a place of romance. A place that is part of the history of Broadwey and is still a perfectly serviceable house if in need of care and attention. As a local who regularly walks past Rackmead and enjoys its quiet tranquillity I can see no reason for demolishing this house and I would beg the Council not to grant permission for its destruction. Surely it can be renovated and continue to play its part in this area where there are many listed buildings which contribute to the ambience and character of the area.
It was with some trepidation after the sale at auction of Rackmead in Watery Lane that I saw that the site had been sealed by metal gates. Apparently pre-empting any planning permission Goadsby was already advertising ‘two brand new houses coming soon’ on boards alongside the site. Finally it appears that an application has been submitted to demolish this lovely historic house which, for many people, sheltered behind its high hedges surrounded by its secret garden has long been a place of romance. A place that is part of the history of Broadwey and is still a perfectly serviceable house if in need of care and attention. As a local who regularly walks past Rackmead and enjoys its quiet tranquillity I can see no reason for demolishing this house and I would beg the Council not to grant permission for its destruction. Surely it can be renovated and continue to play its part in this area where there are many listed buildings which contribute to the ambience and character of the area.
Posted by: ucmgmpb, London on 11:52am Tue 25 Mar 08
As a member of the extended Rackmead family, and one who was brought up there in the 1940s and 1950s, I am appalled at the notion that this house could be bulldozed to make way for yet another modern dwelling. The front section of the building dates back to 1842/3 and the rear to 1856. It is thus one of the oldest in Broadwey, and having never been been subject to rebuilding is still as it was first constructed (save for the addition of a scullery and bathroom in the late 1920s when mains water arrived). I have the original documents which will confirm these dates (given that the age of the structure has recently been the subject of wildly differing and in part erroneous guesses). Clearly Rackmead needs major refurbishment to bring it up to modern standards (although it remained in continual use as a dwelling until February 2007, and was also inhabited for short periods after that). However, it must be in the interests of the community to preserve a building of this age and state. There is nothing similar still standing, and once pulled down it will be gone forever. Moreover, Rackmead occupies an important position in local history, as I have tried to show in my brief account of the property and the family which inhabited it, printed in the autumn edition of the Upwey Society Newsletter. I would urge the planning authorities not to allow the destruction of this historical building, which blends in so well with the surrounding countryside; indeed, enhances it.
As a member of the extended Rackmead family, and one who was brought up there in the 1940s and 1950s, I am appalled at the notion that this house could be bulldozed to make way for yet another modern dwelling. The front section of the building dates back to 1842/3 and the rear to 1856. It is thus one of the oldest in Broadwey, and having never been been subject to rebuilding is still as it was first constructed (save for the addition of a scullery and bathroom in the late 1920s when mains water arrived). I have the original documents which will confirm these dates (given that the age of the structure has recently been the subject of wildly differing and in part erroneous guesses). Clearly Rackmead needs major refurbishment to bring it up to modern standards (although it remained in continual use as a dwelling until February 2007, and was also inhabited for short periods after that). However, it must be in the interests of the community to preserve a building of this age and state. There is nothing similar still standing, and once pulled down it will be gone forever. Moreover, Rackmead occupies an important position in local history, as I have tried to show in my brief account of the property and the family which inhabited it, printed in the autumn edition of the Upwey Society Newsletter. I would urge the planning authorities not to allow the destruction of this historical building, which blends in so well with the surrounding countryside; indeed, enhances it.
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