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The Tumbledown Dick pub in Farnborough Road
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Report boosts battle to save Tumbledown Dick

By Tim Harris
January 14, 2013

THE campaign group battling to save an historic Farnborough pub has released a heritage report to underline the building’s worth.

A campaign started in autumn to save the Tumbledown Dick pub in Farnborough Road and a committee – the Friends of the Tumbledown Dick – has formed.

It emerged late last year that the pub, known as the Tumbly, had been linked with a sale to McDonald’s.

The campaign group hope the newly released heritage report will be their strongest weapon in the fight to save the venue.

It follows a report by an independent historic buildings expert, commissioned by Rushmoor Borough Council, which ruled the Tumbledown did not meet the criteria for listed building status.

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The campaign group’s report read: “The Tumbledown Dick, hotel, public house and posting house and Hampshire treasure has existed since the 16th century.

"There are surviving records for the manorial courts for the Manor of Farnborough dating back to the 16th century.

"Aside from the paying of rents and coroners’ inquests, the Tumbledown Dick was a place for locals and visitors to celebrate and be entertained, from post-match meals for cricket teams to grand celebrations for royal events.

"From the 20th century into the 21st it was the focal place in Farnborough for musical expression and entertainment.”

The Tumbledown has hosted bands such as Reuben, Hundred Reasons and The Jam, and Fran Beauchamp, of the Friends of the Tumbledown Dick, said: “We felt it necessary to publish our own heritage assessment report findings.

“A huge amount of research has been undertaken in libraries, museums and online. The Farnborough Society requested the Tumbly be added to their proposed list of ‘Buildings of Local Importance’ but for some reason it never made it.”

Ms Beauchamp added: “We hope to obtain listing status after our own application to English Heritage, who are reviewing it. We want people to understand how important the Tumbledown Dick is to what is left in Farnborough.”

The campaigners, with more than 2,500 Facebook supporters, have been critical of the heritage assessment commissioned by the council and carried out by Turley Associates.

Andrew Lloyd, chief executive for the council, underlined how the authority must take a "clear and objective approach".

“I have read the campaign group’s report and it is very interesting,” he said.

“We have been happy to co-operate with the group, we have no hidden agenda. We respect their right to do what they are doing.

"We recognised they are putting a tremendous effort in. The decision is for English Heritage.

"We know the building is in a poor state. What is important is what happens in future – it has to be one that is able to be delivered and sustained.”

Ms Beauchamp added: “We wish to see off McDonald’s and have significant local support.”

The Tumbledown Dick has been empty since 2008, after it was closed following a failed health inspection.

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Fine by me.

County Councillor John Wall - Farnborough South Division (@CllrJohnWall), Farnborough, Hampshire
14/01/2013 at 20:32

Yes, Would you like me to email you a copy?

Sheperez
14/01/2013 at 20:30

Does her email actually mention the Tumbly?

County Councillor John Wall - Farnborough South Division (@CllrJohnWall), Farnborough, Hampshire
14/01/2013 at 18:54

Her email suggests that she was told she could revisit the list at a later date and was then denied the opportunity to, and the Tumbly was left off in error. If this was the case, what a shame! A whole fallout could have been avoided. However, i guess we will never know now.

Sheperez
14/01/2013 at 18:40

You wrote:

"In the email she is expressing her concern that she sent over a a list of buildings which were on the Hampshire treasures list but had been excluded on the new list."

It looks like the Farnborough Society reviewed the buildings on the Hampshire treasures list and proposed some of them - but not the Tumbly - for inclusion.

County Councillor John Wall - Farnborough South Division (@CllrJohnWall), Farnborough, Hampshire
14/01/2013 at 18:28

Very strange, we definitely have an email from her and wouldn't make claims otherwise. Thank you for sharing your email with me.

With regards to the trees, we have been told there were no preservation orders on them and therefore they were destroyed legally :-(

Sheperez
14/01/2013 at 18:17

Unless the tress were the subject of preservation orders there wouldn't have been anything to prevent their removal. It may have been as simple as wanting to remove a maintenance liability but that's just speculation.

County Councillor John Wall - Farnborough South Division (@CllrJohnWall), Farnborough, Hampshire
14/01/2013 at 15:58

I have an email from Barbara Hurst sent to all Rushmoor Borough Councillors, the five County Councillors and senior officers of RBC on 4 January 2013 stating:

"I would like to confirm that The Farnborough Society did not in fact request inclusion of the Tumbledown [four letter word starting with "D" removed as the website wouldn't accept it] on the list of buildings of local importance, although Ms Beauchamp has made this claim several times, and we do not know where she got the idea that we had."

County Councillor John Wall - Farnborough South Division (@CllrJohnWall), Farnborough, Hampshire
14/01/2013 at 15:55

Councillor Wall, Obtained through a freedom of information request, the friends of the tumbledown have an email sent to Andrew Lloyd from Barbara Hurst (The Farnborough Society) dated the 2.11.12 and entitled 'draft supplementary planning document – buildings of local interest' . In the email she is expressing her concern that she sent over a a list of buildings which were on the Hampshire treasures list but had been excluded on the new list. A planning officer then advised that they were not happy with the agents who did the listing and there would be an opportunity to comment on the revised list. She then goes on to explain that she didn't get offered an opportunity to comment, and it seemed that the Tumbledown was excluded from the final list. I hope this clarifies the matter.

Sheperez
14/01/2013 at 15:15

Can someone from the council confirm what happened to the Large trees that were on the site? I believe the removal of these tree are what has sparked this campaign into life.

I have looked through the planning applications for the area on the Planning website and there is nothing relating to the removal of the trees - which I thought was a prosecutable offence?

Councillor Ward are you able to shed any light on to what happened to the trees - as has been mentioned before the trees are visible on Street view as pretty big, and seeing the stumps there now show they were very old.

Pigfarmer, Farnborough
14/01/2013 at 15:13

Hi Rob, thanks for your comment. To reiterate what Cllr Wall has said, the decision on whether the pub can qualify to become a listed building will be made by English Heritage.

It is my understanding English Heritage will take into account the report published by an independent historic buildings expert, commissioned by Rushmoor Borough Council and also the heritage report released by the Tumbledown campaign group.

In regard to the potential for the pub to become a McDonald's restaurant, nothing at all will happen at the moment. McDonald's have admitted an interest in the pub, and Bride Hall, the owners of the pub, have confirmed an agreement has been made with the fast food chain. However, no planning application has been submitted to Rushmoor Borough Council to date and until the point an application is put in, nothing will happen.

Editor, Guildford
14/01/2013 at 14:48

If there is a planning application the decision will be made by Rushmoor's Development Control Committee. The report that Rushmoor commissioned was to see if it justified listing by English Heritage. If the building was listed the planning application would have to jump through more hoops. Obviously, the Friends would like the place listed whereas I expect that Bride Hall/McDonalds wouldn't! (P.S. The statement about the Farnborough Society in incorrect - they didn't request inclusion).