TEP undertook an Historic Environment and Photographic Assessment of Aldbury Primary School to inform future expansion plans for the site.
Aldbury Primary School is a Grade II listed building complex located within a Conservation Area, an Area of Archaeological Significance and within the historic core of the medieval village of Aldbury.
Aldbury is a small, pretty village near Tring in Hertfordshire, nestled just under the beautiful Ashridge National Trust woods and its famous Bridgewater Monument. Aldbury has maintained its quintessentially village feel with its pond, village stocks, farm land and period houses making it a popular place to live and visit.
The school was built in 1853 by the local landowner, the Earl of Bridgewater as part of his improvement of the village. The school subsequently expanded in 1878 with the building of a second class room and headmaster’s house.
TEP prepared an assessment that identified the heritage value of the school and made recommendations about development options to mitigate any effects on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and Listed Building.
The assessment also identified the potential for as yet unknown buried archaeological deposits within the site and provided advice on how to mitigate the effects of any proposed development.
Essentially, TEP assessed whether the school would be able to expand without compromising its heritage value, and what effects any expansion would have on the wider environment.
TEP recommended retention of the building’s historic frontage and that any future development to the rear of the buildings should be kept below the height of the school roof and ornate chimneys.
