The Speech House is a Grade 2* Listed Building and was built in the 17th Century as a Hunting Lodge and to house the Verderers’ Court (being judicial officers of the Royal Forest of Dean). It became the place people went to talk or make a speech, hence the name “Speech House”.
The original, west front of the building is practically the same as it has always been, but east of the slight recess in the north wall, all of the building is relatively new i.e. about 1883. The original roofline was followed in the new additions and the original stones of the demolished sides were preserved and used in the new front of the hotel. The Courtroom, which is now a restaurant, still retains a dais of oak with carved balusters and a moulded stone chimneypiece. The house was let by the Crown as an Inn around 1858, with the Courtroom being reserved for the Verderers’ use as and when required.
The Speech House is a very important historic building, especially to the local people, and Apex Architecture feel honoured to be able to design a new, single storey garden room and plan the necessary internal renovations. In order to minimise the impact on the listed building Apex decided the garden room should be in the style of an Orangery which may have been used in the 1880’s, when the Hotel underwent it’s original transformation. These works all required Planning and Listed Building Consent Permissions before any work could be carried out and in addition we had to prepare an Historical Justification Report to support our proposals.
Apex believe that the proposed Orangery will enhance the architectural appearance of the building and create a light, spacious and usable room to be enjoyed by the Hotel’s guests and visitors alike.