Protection for cob cottage

Press, 17 April 1982, Page 6

Protection for cob cottage

Tiptree cob cottage (above) in Savills Road, Harewood, was yesterday declared a historic reserve. The decision was made by the Paparua County. Council’s town-planning committee when it met to consider an application by P. G. and J. A. Gregg for consent to subdivide a O.lha lot sur-, rounding the cottage from the farmland on which it stands. ■ ’ - _ ■-•■. J The three-storey cob cottage, built in 1862, has been given a B rating by the Historic Places Trust because it is one of the finest examples of cob building in the Christchurch area. It has also been included on the councils historic places list. It .was built by Mr William Savill who emigrated to New Zealand from England in 1851. Members of his family livediin it until 1926.

It was then sold to Mr Spencer Whyte who had bought the surrounding farmland from the family. He lived in another house on the property and the cottage was allowed to deteriorate until, finally, it was used as a shearing shed. In 1963 Mr Whyte sold Tiptree Farm to Mr and Mrs ■ George Gregg. They were approached by the National Historic Places Trust which wished to restore and preserve the cottage but the new owners decided to do it themselves. They began work that year and by 1979 the cottage was returned to its original condition and furnished in nine- * teenth century style. It was opened to the public on one afternoon each month or by appointment. In 1981 450 people visited it.

The committee was told that Mr and Mrs Gregg intended to establish a charitable trust consisting of members of the family and called the Tiptree Cottage Trust to ensure that the cottage was preserved in perpetuity and that the public had continued access to it. The intention of the application for special provision under the district scheme was to separate the cottage from the main title so that it was maintained regardless of who owned the farm. The family wishes to establish it as a heritage cov-. enant under the Historic Places Act, 1980. The act requires that the land to which the covenant relates be under separate title and the committee was assured that, should the trust be

dissolved, the property would pass to the Historic Places Trust. The application was recommended by the county planner, Mr K. G. Lawn. He said: “While it may seem undesirable to create a 1000 sq m lot in a rural zone, this is far outweighed by the benefit from enabling the future of this important historic building to be secured.” It was approved subject to the condition that access and parking facilities be provided and that, if the cottage were accidently destroyed, there should be no new house built on the site. The committee waived fees for the hearing and referred to the council the applicants’ request that the property be exempt from rates. ________________