Horsham Builders
  • Home
  • Services
    • Home Extensions
    • House Remodelling
    • New Builds
    • Construction
    • Barn Conversions
    • Open Plan Living
    • Renovations
    • Home Improvements
    • Property Refurbishment
  • Planning Permission
  • Horsham
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Blog

Builder blog

Local Historical Buildings - Knepp Castle

9/23/2020

 
Knepp Castle is a medieval building between Shipley and West Grinstead, very close to the A24 south of Horsham.  The castle stands on a mound, known in Old English as a “cnaep”, which is thought to be the origin of the name “Knepp”

Built in the 12th century by William de Braose as a motte and baily fortress, the castle was rebuilt in stone in 1214 by King John, when a 2-storey keep was incorporated.  The building has hosted a lot of royalty, including Henry III, Edward II and Richard II.  In later years the castle was allowed to deteriorate and by the early 18th century it had almost completely fallen into disrepair.  A hundred years later Sir Charles Burrell started to look after the remains, fencing them and reinforcing to prevent further damage.

At around the same time, Sir Charles Burrell built a castellated gothic mansion close to the site of the castle and this building is now known as Knepp Castle.

The remains of the castle itself still stand on the “cnaep”, which was a natural mound and is surrounded by a ditch fed from a pond and ramparts.  This created a moat which 300 years ago was still full of water.  Now all that remains is one wall, around 8 feet thick, containing a doorway with an opening above and can been seen briefly as you pass through on the A24.  These remains are thought to have been part of the original keep.

Home page

6 Things to Consider when Building a House

9/16/2020

 
Naturally there are many things to consider when you decide to build your own home, but here are a few of the more important ones.
  1. Location is key - how many times have you heard that?  It's the one thing that simply can't be changed so make sure you love where you're building, especially if you intend to live there. Finding a suitable plot may be the longest part of the process unless you're lucky enough to have a building that can be demolished so you can start from scratch. Once you have a site, make the best of views and features, orienting the house to take advantage of everything you love.
  2. Consider how much time you want to put into managing the build. Do you want to employ someone to oversee everything or are you itching to do it yourself?  If you undertake the job personally, be prepared to spend a great deal of time understanding how things work, chasing up suppliers and sub-contractors, working with local authorities and building inspectors, making decisions and numerous other things.  A company that manages the build will take most of the stress out of it, but there will still be times when decisions have to be made by the owner.
  3. Ensure you hire the right company. Nothing matters more than having people you can work with, who understand the brief and are on your wavelength. Stay in communication on a regular basis so you always know what is happening with the build.
  4. Make all major decisions before work starts.  This will minimise stress and expense as changes to plan are always expensive.  Smaller decisions such as the finish of the kitchen or the sanitaryware for the bathrooms can be left until later, but you need to completely understand how the layout will work for you.
  5. Budget for the standard of finish you expect.  There's a lot of difference in the price of luxury fittings and economy ones and if you're having your dream house built you may decide you want good quality throughout.  Check out how much this will cost and add it in before you start to avoid nasty surprises later.
  6. It's a strange thing but when a building is being erected, the perceived size and shape can change continually.  So don't panic when you get to a stage where everything looks far too small. Provided you've done your homework and have a good architect, it will all pan out in the end and you'll get an amazing home.

    Archives

    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020

Construction Company and
Builder in Horsham:
  • Extension Builders
  • Property Renovation
  • Remodelling
  • Property Refurbishments
  • Construction
  • Bespoke new Homes
  • Property Conversion
Horsham Builders
Tel: 
01403 540148
Horsham Building Contractors
Suite 30
Standby Business Centre
Foundry Lane
Horsham
RH13 5PX
01403 540148
Builders Blog
Privacy
Website by Lucky Pig Marketing
We work with recommended local Horsham builders
  • Home
  • Services
    • Home Extensions
    • House Remodelling
    • New Builds
    • Construction
    • Barn Conversions
    • Open Plan Living
    • Renovations
    • Home Improvements
    • Property Refurbishment
  • Planning Permission
  • Horsham
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Blog