Basing House in Rickmansworth gets £37,000 repairs

Basing House, next to the Watersmeet Theatre in Rickmansworth, was built in 1740 and is said to have housed William Penn, founder of the US state of Pennsylvania. It was also formerly the headquarters of Three Rivers District Council until 1991.

The council owns the building and funded the eight-week repair work from May to June, which included replacing some of the windows, doors, guttering, and other fixtures.

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Basing House (Image: Three Rivers District Council)

Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst, who is responsible for area’s listed buildings, said: “Although it is best for listed buildings to keep their original materials intact as much as possible, unfortunately in this case the windows and other features were too decayed or in a poor state to be left alone.”

The council said the windows rattled and had become unsafe .

Three Rivers District Council Leader, Cllr Sarah Nelmes, at the revamped Basing House. (Image: Three Rivers District Council)

Contractor Expert Property Care was apparently “very careful” to retain Basing House’s classic appearance.

Cllr Medhurst added that he was pleased with the “magnificent job” done to keep the appearance while making it more welcoming for visitors.

The building is currently occupied by Batchworth Community Council, the Three Rivers Museum Trust, and a co-working space called Rivertech.

Basing House window (Image: Three Rivers District Council)