Guy Ritchie wins battle to build wine cellar at £9 million estate

Director Guy Ritchie, 51, wins battle with archaeologists to build a wine cellar at his £9 million Wiltshire country estate to go with his on-site Gritchie microbrewery and gin distillery

• The 51-year-old director has submitted plans for Ashcombe House in Wiltshire 
• Hopes to convert a disused water storage tank into wine cellar under his home 
• Plans given go-ahead on Tuesday despite concerns over work at listed property

Guy Ritchie (pictured at the Aladdin premiere in Los Angeles in May) plans to convert a disused water tank underneath part of his £9million country house in Wiltshire into a wine cellar

Guy Ritchie has won a battle with conservationists to build a wine cellar at his £9million country estate – complete with a £3,650 air conditioning unit.

The film director, 51, now hopes to store a large selection of luxury wines at his sprawling 1,200-acre Ashcombe estate in Wiltshire.

He has asked the local council if he can use an underground water storage area underneath an outbuilding to store his collection.   

However, archaeologists warned council planners that the development could have a significant impact on the 19th century property.

Plans submitted to Wiltshire Council by Ritchie’s planning agent Timothy Reeve in June said: ‘There is currently a large underground disused water storage tank of brick construction located under the gardens to the south of Ashcombe House some 8m in diameter and about 7m deep with a domed top.

‘The tank historically held the water supply for what was originally a brew-house on the estate (now the main residence).’

Mr Reeve continued: ‘This drainage system is now redundant and the chamber is largely empty.

‘It is proposed to construct an underground link from this back to the house and accessed via a new stair located below the existing staircase in the main entrance hall.

‘The brick structure itself will have a galleried walkway around at the new access level with wine bins formed around the walls below this.’

The plans also included an underground galleried walkway to link it to the property, where Ritchie, best known for his 1998 film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, lives with his wife Jacqui, 37.

Ritchie earlier built a southern facing al fresco dining area on his £9 million country estate Ashcombe House (pictured left)

He has asked the local council if he can use an underground water storage area underneath an outbuilding to store his wine collection (plans for Ritchie’s property are pictured)

Meanwhile, the underground tunnel would be covered in the same red brick as the cellar and be accessible by a small hatch from the main house.

Describing the £3,650 air cooling system, he added: ‘There will be a temperature-controlled buffer corridor between the house and the cellar in order that the house heating system is not compromised by the cooler cellar requirements.’

But, Martin Brown, assistant county archaeologist for Wiltshire, slated the plans and said in planning documents: ‘The proposed development will directly affect the listed, early 19th century Ashcombe House.

‘The conversion of the existing cistern will significantly alter it, whilst the application also includes the excavation of the basement within Ashcombe House.

‘The proposed groundworks have potential to identify remains associated with the construction or conversion of Ashcombe House, or of any earlier structures that may have existed before the existing structure.’

The comment forced Ritchie to submit slightly revised plans but these still faced resistance from council officials who claimed the actor had failed to assess the heritage impact of the proposal on the property.

Sage Jocelyn, conservation officer at Wiltshire Council, said: ‘The heritage statement provided makes no reference to the water storage cellar.

‘There is therefore no assessment of this elements significance.

‘Grounds for a failure to assess the heritage interest of a structure that is being modified, are grounds for a refusal.’

The director, 50, wants somewhere to store a large selection of luxury wines at his sprawling 1,200-acre Ashcombe estate in Wiltshire (pictured)

The film director converted the 18th century Orangery in 2016 so that guests could enjoy outside dining around a wood burning stove (pictured inside his home)

The director acquired the £9million property as part of his divorce settlement with Madonna (he is pictured with his wife Jacqui)

However, despite the concerns, Wiltshire Council gave the plans the go-ahead on Tuesday.

In a planning report, executive director Alistair Cunningham said: ‘The proposed development relates to an existing underground structure that has no visual impact within the immediate or wider surrounding area and it is considered the proposed conversion with new external access would not have an undue impact on the character and setting of listed building(s).’

Ritchie was given the 1,200-acre Grade II-listed Ashcombe Estate near Salisbury as part of his £50million divorce settlement from pop star Madonna in 2008 after they purchased it together in 2001.

Ritchie already has a gin distillery and a microbrewery called Gritchie beer on the estate.

The plans come after Wiltshire Council last month dropped enforcement measures after Ritchie illegally converted an 18th century building in 2016 into an Al Fresco dining area so friends such as Brad Pitt could enjoy eating outside around a wood burning stove.

The film director has also made some other major modifications to the estate which includes converting disused stables into accommodation for guests and adding two sporting lakes as well as using part of the estate as an internationally recognised shooting venue.

Source: Read Full Article