Bid to turn historic Silwood Manor in Ascot into 21 flats

Permission has been sought from RBWM to convert a historic building in Ascot, Silwood Manor, into 21 flats.

Beechcroft Developments Ltd has applied for listed building consent to convert Silwood Manor and its attached stables at Silwood Park.

The Grade II listed manor house was built between 1875 and 1878 to designs by Alfred Waterhouse in the Victorian Gothic Revival style.

It has been largely unused since Imperial College London vacated the site.

The proposals aim to return the manor to residential use while safeguarding its architectural and historic significance.

Plans cover extensive internal and external works, including restoring the principal rooms – conserving original features – and removing unsympathetic 20th-century additions such as suspended ceilings, partitions, and institutional fittings.

The refurbishment will also see modern services replaced and the structure repaired to address damp, mould, and areas of neglect.

Adaptations include inserting prefabricated bathroom pods in bedrooms to avoid damaging decorative ceilings and cornices when installing the residential bathrooms.

Floors and ceilings will be insulated for soundproofing, while original doors and fireplaces will be retained or reused wherever possible.

Meanwhile, the stables are set to be converted into residential units too, with thermal upgrades, repairs to masonry and roofs, and removal of modern alterations that detract from their character.

Plans include demolishing various poor-quality outbuildings and reinstating gardens and landscaping to improve the setting of the manor.

Eight new homes are proposed within the grounds, including cottages and bungalows designed to reflect traditional estate architecture and positioned to minimise impact on the listed building and mature trees.

A Heritage Statement submitted with the application concludes that the scheme would result in less than substantial harm to the listed building – though it is for RBWM to decide if that’s true.

Moreover, it states that this harm is justified by the public benefits, including bringing the manor back into residential use, securing its long-term future, and delivering a high-quality restoration.

The report highlights that the project would remove unsympathetic later additions, enhance the setting, and promote traditional craft skills during the building process.

These proposals respond to earlier feedback from the Royal Borough, with significant design changes such as reducing mezzanine sizes, omitting underfloor heating, and revising layouts to preserve the proportions of principal rooms.

The application seeks to balance conservation with the practical requirements of creating new homes, and the accompanying documents argue that it complies with national and local heritage policy.

See all documents with reference 25/01575 in Windsor and Maidenhead’s planning portal.