New light through old windows

Volume house builders are not often associated with restoring heritage and preserving history, but award winning Redrow is one of the exceptions.

The innovative developer has been responsible for bringing some stunning historical buildings back to life across the UK, including old hospitals in Abergavenny, Gloucester and Cheddleton, near Leek, an Edwardian swimming baths and theatre in Weston-super-mare, an old warehouse in Birmingham city centre, a Georgian nurses’ home in Dunfermline, Fife, and an 18th century bleach works in Horwich, Lancashire.

But it’s not just centuries old buildings that can be given a facelift – Redrow has previously tackled a 1970s’ concrete office block once dubbed Bristol’s ugliest building. And, more recently, it has begun work on the transformation of art deco inspired office and test facility buildings at the former Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), in Farnborough, to create luxury apartments.

The properties will sit beside two of the most interesting aeronautical legacies of the RAE – a pair of Grade 1 listed wind tunnel buildings. The largest, a 24 ft wind tunnel, was used to test full-sized aircraft prototypes, while the transonic wind tunnel was used to test aircraft including Concorde. These buildings are being retained and restored by the site’s vendors, SEGRO (formerly Slough Estates plc).

Simon Bennett, Redrow’s group marketing director, says: “Best known for the 5,000 or so new homes we build each year in England, Scotland and Wales, home buyers are perhaps less familiar with Redrow’s penchant for restoring old buildings to their former glory.

“It’s something that we have developed considerable experience in and we are always on the look-out for similar projects, especially where they offer the ability to combine refurbishment of old properties with sympathetic new-build on the same site.”

Other refurbishment schemes currently underway include Arcon Village, in Bolton, a ‘hidden oasis’ whose origins lie in an 18th century bleach works. In line with their Grade II listed status, each stone built property is being delicately restored to encapsulate the essence of the area’s industrial heritage.

This unique venture comprises 140 bespoke apartments, town houses and mews-style cottages. A clock tower and bell tower are also being sensitively restored to their previous splendour and provide a central landmark feature.

Redrow has worked with the local authority’s conservation team, as well as English Heritage and the University of Manchester’s Archaeological unit, to sympathetically convert the buildings to homes steeped in character.

Arcon Village enjoys relative seclusion on the edge of Horwich, approached via a long driveway and surrounded by panoramic views of the West Pennine moors, yet the cosmopolitan city centres of Bolton and Manchester are both easily reached.

In Weston-super-mare, Somerset, Redrow has converted the former Dr Fox’s Bathhouse, Edwardian Swimming Baths and Pavilion Theatre – all Grade II listed - into apartments, with two commercial buildings set for restaurant / café use. These refurbished buildings, plus two new contemporary apartment blocks, occupy Knightstone Island, which is linked to the mainland via a causeway and enjoys spectacular sea views.

Once neglected and falling into disrepair, the island’s stunning old buildings have been given a new lease of life and now herald a new era of large-scale regeneration in the seaside town. Original features such as ornate stone carvings, beautiful hand carved plasterwork and timber architraves and shutters have been restored, while some details previously thought to have been lost forever – such as external ‘cartouches’ around the outside of the towers, dormer windows in the Pavilion Theatre and clerestory lighting in the Edwardian Swimming Baths - have been reintroduced.

Simon adds: “The beauty of a renovation project is that purchasers can enjoy all the benefits of a brand new home – energy efficient, easy to maintain, well equipped, a modern specification, and reassurance of a 10-year Buildmark warranty – as well as the original period features that give an older property its character.”

Elsewhere Redrow has converted the former St Edward’s Hospital, in Cheddleton, Staffs, into new apartments, with a range of brand new houses and apartments in its grounds. The development enjoys lush green surroundings and fabulous views over rolling countryside, with rich woodland and open space accounting for 85 of the development’s 120 acres.

And work has recently been completed on converting the former Horton Road Hospital in Gloucester, which dates from the early 19th century. Redrow preserved many original features such as the sash windows, painstakingly numbering and recording the position of every original frame in the building so they could be removed, repaired and replaced in exactly the same position.

Where features could not be repaired, exact copies of the original woodwork, such as six-inch deep, solid wood skirting boards and architraves were fitted. The building is also capped with rare examples of cast iron roof tiles. The last of the properties has just been sold.

For details of properties for sale at any of the above developments, as well as Redrow’s extensive range of brand new properties, including its first time buyer Debut product, contemporary city centre apartments, family housing and luxury detached homes, visit Redrow.co.uk.