Heritage consultant Cotswolds

Heritage consultants in the Cotswolds.

Listed building consent, heritage impact assessments and conservation advice across the Cotswolds. Limestone cottages, wool churches, market towns and listed country houses.

We respond within one working day leading to a no obligation outline approach.

The Cotswolds is the largest National Landscape in England, and its towns and villages hold one of the densest concentrations of listed buildings in the country. We work across all of it.

Oolitic limestone, stone slate roofs and mullioned windows give the area a consistency that local planning authorities guard closely. Our work ranges from alterations to listed cottages and farmhouses to barn conversions, extensions to country houses and new development in sensitive conservation areas, from Chipping Campden in the north to Tetbury and Cirencester in the south.

Heritage consultancy in the Cotswolds

What we do in the Cotswolds.

1.

Listed Building Consent

Cotswold District Council handles a high volume of listed building consent applications and expects them to show a clear understanding of traditional limestone construction. We prepare applications that address materials, joinery and roof detailing properly, so the conservation officer has what they need first time.

2.

Heritage Statements

Most Cotswold towns and villages sit within conservation areas, and much of the landscape around them falls within the National Landscape. Development in either requires a Heritage Statement, now formally called a Heritage Impact Assessment following the NPPF update. We write to the point, addressing the NPPF, the local plan and the relevant conservation area appraisal.

3.

Barns and Agricultural Buildings

Converting listed or curtilage listed barns, granaries and outbuildings is a large part of Cotswold work. We assess significance, record the historic fabric and set out how a new use can be accommodated without losing the agricultural character that gives these buildings their value.

4.

Conservation Management Plans

Country estates, wool churches and institutional owners across the Cotswolds increasingly need Conservation Management Plans to guide repair and change over time. We produce clear, usable documents grounded in the building’s actual significance rather than generic templates.

5.

Solar for Listed Buildings

Stone slate roofs and long views across the National Landscape make solar one of the more sensitive proposals in the Cotswolds. Panels on a listed building, or within its setting, usually need listed building consent and often planning permission. We assess the roof, the significance of the building and the views affected, advise on less visible siting such as outbuildings, rear slopes or ground mounted arrays, and set out the public benefit of the clean energy generated in the heritage impact assessment.

We hold an active caseload across the Cotswolds and the surrounding counties. If your area is not listed, we still work there.

That includes Cirencester, Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, Moreton-in-Marsh, Northleach, Tetbury, Painswick, Burford and Broadway, across Cotswold, West Oxfordshire, Stroud, Tewkesbury, Wychavon and Stratford-on-Avon districts. We also carry out historic building recording to CIFA standards across all of them.

Common questions

Cotswolds heritage questions.

How quickly can you turn around a heritage impact assessment for a Cotswolds application?
For straightforward applications, works to a Grade II cottage in a conservation area, for instance, we can usually produce a heritage impact assessment within five to ten working days of receiving the brief. We confirm the programme when we provide the fee proposal.
Does Cotswold District Council recommend pre-application advice for listed building works?
For significant works to listed buildings, and for any proposal affecting a Grade I or Grade II* building, pre-application engagement is usually worthwhile. We can advise whether it is needed for your project and attend pre-application meetings if required.
How does the Cotswolds National Landscape affect a planning application?
The National Landscape is not a planning authority, so applications still go to the district council. National policy gives great weight to conserving its landscape and scenic beauty, which means proposals need to show how they respect the setting as well as any listed buildings or conservation area. We address both in a single assessment.
Can you help with converting a listed or curtilage listed barn?
Yes. Barn conversions are a significant part of our Cotswolds caseload. We assess the significance of the building and its setting, identify the fabric that must be retained and set out a scheme of change the council can support.
Do I need consent to repair Cotswold stone walls or roofs on a listed building?
Genuine like-for-like repairs often do not need listed building consent, but replacing stone slates with another material, changing the mortar or altering the appearance of a wall usually does. Carrying out works without consent is a criminal offence, so we recommend confirming the position before work starts. We can advise quickly on whether consent is needed.
Do you provide a fee proposal before we commit?
Yes. Once we have the address and a short description of the proposed works, we provide an outline approach and a fee proposal, usually within one working day. There is no obligation to proceed.

Active caseload across the Cotswolds and Gloucestershire

Tell us about your Cotswolds project.

Send us the address and a brief description of the works. You will have a response within one working day.

What to send

To get a fast outline approach, share:

  • The address and listing grade of the property
  • A description of the proposed works
  • Where you are in the planning process
  • Your role: owner, developer, architect, or public body