Conservation & Heritage Issue 49 October 2025 - Flipbook - Page 116
underneath in 1968 and, perhaps because of this extra
weight, by the time we were invited by new owners to
refurbish the house in 2022 the steel frame had sunk
by 150 mm in one corner, resulting in a disconcerting
downward rake in the floors towards the void below.
Together with Andy Downey of Elliott Wood, we took
the house to bits and rebuilt it reusing the steel frame
with some judicious rearrangement, more to avoid cold
bridging rather than to add structure. A new spiral stair
tower to the west of the building has replaced the one
added to the middle of the house in 1968, air source heat
pumps have replaced the old oil-fired boiler and the house
is now insulated! These new changes took 18 months
to get through planning, whereas the original planning
application in 1963 was approved in just three days.
The original owners couldn’t afford Michael Manser’s
fees so paid us with two paintings, one of which we still
had in our office and gave to David and Pippa, the new
owners, as a moving in present. The other still hangs in
my own house. We were delighted they invited us back
to Cliffhanger and have thoroughly enjoyed bringing the
house back to life.”
Client’s View
“Having lived in Godalming for a number of years,
we were aware of the provenance of Cliffhanger and
we felt privileged to become the new owners in 2022.
However the house had fallen into disrepair and so we
approached The Manser Practice to undertake a complete
refurbishment. David’s initial telephone enquiry was
answered immediately by Jonathan Manser, who admitted
that he was about to go sailing but promised to visit as
soon as he came ashore – which he did! And so began our
happy relationship with Manser.
The company’s extensive drawing and photographic
archive proved to be an invaluable asset when it was
decided that, although much of the building was beyond
saving, we could broadly recreate its spirit. A minor
reconfiguration of the layout, allowed Manser to reposition
the spiral staircase in a new Kalwall enclosed stairwell.
This 21st century addition has transformed the internal
circulation and provides a stunning (particularly when
viewed at night) addition to one of Godalming’s most
iconic buildings.”
- Jonathan Manser, The Manser Practice
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Conservation & Heritage Journal
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- David and Pippa, Private Clients
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