Manor House and Country Estate Web Design

Written by: Heritage Creative

In a previous journal post I discussed working on museum web design projects and how focusing in the Heritage Sector allows us to do this. Another area of web design I am discovering through the development of Heritage Creative is that of manor houses, country estates and other historic property. These glorious buildings are a big part of our history and heritage, however so like many parts of our history they need to adapt in order to survive modern times. The majority of such country homes, manor houses and estates maintain themselves by providing a commercial offering, typically in the form of event hire or for the smaller properties, accomodation.

We have some experience in this field and know how best communicate this commercial offering in a way sensitive to the subject matter. These kinds of businesses, as that is what they are, need to project an image in keeping with their high-end brands and historic importance. When we designed Craig Hamilton’s website our focus was to allow the property itself to do the talking – some of the manor houses, lodges and country estates designed by this architecture firm have had build costs in the region of £25 million. Placing aggressive and commercial “buy now” buttons or employing other tactics often used in the private sector would give the wrong message entirely.

We are currently engaged with a high-end building company based in the Cotswolds and we will be taking a similar approach here – sensitivity to the high-end, sophisticated nature of the brand and subject matter is paramount. In addition, we are currently in discussions with a world-famous estate, one with historic ties to royalty, such a project would be fantastic for us and we are very much looking forward to the opportunity of starting on that.

I think what is so interesting about these projects is the history behind these monumental buildings. When I visited Compton Verney in Warickshire as part of the AIM conference I was astounded by the beauty of the place. I was lucky enough to view the grounds as well as enjoy an evening meal in there. I also spent a few minutes talking to a senior staff member in the branding and events team about their website and it is clear that these kind of places are well staffed with knowledgeable, marketing and technically savvy people who understand the value of having a premium quality website website reflective of their own brand.

In summary, exciting times ahead! The prospect of being involved on projects that relate to some of the more visual remnants of our history excites my team and I. These are afterall, grandiose buildings that have lived through centuries of kings and queens, that have adapted and diversified in order to stay relevant. The preservation of our heritage in this way is exactly what Heritage Creative is all about.

Written by: Heritage Creative