A brief history of Tubney House

In 2003 Tubney House and the surrounding lands were generously donated to the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) by the Tubney Charitable Trust. The benefaction also included £1.26m towards the refurbishment of Tubney House, which began almost immediately.

Trustees of the Tubney Charitable Trust, which now makes bequests in memory of its co-founders, Miles and Briony Blackwell, gifted the site to the University on the understanding that WildCRU (which broadly shares the same wildlife interests as the Tubney Trust and its founders) should use it as their base, and, in the event that the property should ever be sold, that the property be used to foster the WildCRU’s mission in perpetuity.

WildCRU was formed in 1986 by Professor David Macdonald of the Department of Zoology and Lady Margaret Hall, and within a decade became the largest university-based conservation research unit in Europe. The Unit includes upwards of 50 members including staff, graduate students, research assistants together with volunteers.Their mission is to achieve solutions to conservation biology by undertaking original research on aspects fundamental to biology relevant to wildlife conservation and environmental management.

Professor Macdonald, Director of WildCRU, said: 'Our new home at Tubney House provides us with a truly unique opportunity to launch a thrilling phase in WildCRU's work, and will not only make wildlife conservation a much more significant feature of the University, it will also make Oxford the home of one of the most substantial conservation initiatives worldwide. My entire team is determined to live up to the tremendous faith that the Tubney Trust has shown in us.'

A crucial aspect in the space planning, design, refurbishment or extension to any building is the production of accurate floor plans, elevations and sections. 3D laser scanning allows the modelling of inaccessible architectural and structural features, producing a detailed 3D image of the building. Laser scanning was carried out on Tubney House before the renovations began and generated a 3D image accurate to within 4mm. Because the process picks up all the detail, it allowed the contractors to look for structural defects such as sagging roofs, leaning chimneys, deflection in window lintel and bowing walls in more detail than would normally be available. It also allowed them to produce accurate sections through the building, which helped in designing the new staircases at the west end of Tubney House.

The structural repair scheme used for Tubney House broadly encompassed measures to prevent any further movement to the east wall and floor strengthening to upgrade the building to office use. The methods adopted sought to achieve minimum intervention and on the whole are fully reversible in line with conservation best practice.

The initial stages of renovation involved internal structural repairs. Many of the walls and wooden supports in the house were rotting and disintegrating and needed to be repaired or replaced.

Externally, Tubney House was suffering from crumbling stone work, rotting wood, leaking ceilings and a roof in badly need of repair. After 12 months encased by scaffolding, the external repairs were completed, new structures added on and Tubney House was painted with carefully chosen traditional lime wash to complete the renovations.

As well as internal and external renovations, several structural alterations were made in order to help Tubney House meet the demands of its new residents. The majority of these changes occurred on the West elevation of the house.

Tubney House today

Tubney House has been successfully converted into a new international conservation centre for the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit. On the 5th of October 2004, WildCRU moved from the Zoology Department, Oxford University, into Tubney House to begin a new phase in wildlife conservation.

Tubney House provides an excellent working environment for the 50+ members of staff and students.

The additional facilities of a Board Room and Lecture Hall mean that WildCRU will be able to accommodate internationally renowned speakers and conferences thus ensuring that the group remains at the forefront of wildlife conservation and research.

WildCRU would like to thank Ian Paton (MRICS) of Glanville Consultants, for providing many of the photographs of the restoration process and for his enthusiastic advice and to thank Nick Shrimpton of Lady Margaret Hall for his advice and help regarding décor of the period.