Royal visit for jewel in Weston-Super-Mare’s crown

The jewel in Weston-super-Mare’s crown, Knightstone Island, is set to get some Royal visitors. Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, will visit the island, which is being re-developed by award-winning housebuilder Redrow, as part of a tour of the Victorian seaside town on Friday 20 July.

The Queen will take in a number of sights in the area including Ashcombe Children’s Centre as well as visiting the stunning island development, which demonstrates how important old buildings can be transformed for a new purpose.

Home to three Grade II Listed Buildings – the Pavilion Theatre, Dr Fox’s Bath House and the historic Edwardian Swimming Baths – Knightstone Island, which is linked to the mainland by a causeway, has long been a landmark in the resort.

It had been neglected and fallen into a state of disrepair in recent years but the £20 million Redrow development has given it a new lease of life.

The Grade II listed buildings have been transformed and two new contemporary buildings erected alongside, to create a total of 87 apartments and two commercial units, and the public will once again be able to access the perimeter island walkway and causeway upon completion of the Redrow development.

Her Majesty The Queen will re-open the island’s perimeter walkway, which was originally opened in the Queen’s Coronation year of 1953.

To complement the restoration work Redrow has commissioned local ceramic artist, Rosie Smith, to create a large tile mural for the external wall of a communal courtyard at the site. The Queen will also be invited to put the final tile in place in the mural during her visit.

Redrow’s Western regional chairman, Colin Lewis, said: “We are delighted to welcome Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to view this spectacular development at Knightstone Island.

“This is a perfect example of how historic buildings can be saved and given a new purpose.

“This development is important to Weston-super-Mare as it has given a new lease of life to the much-loved Knightstone Island while remaining sympathetic to the importance of the landmark site and its original historic buildings.

“Once again members of the public will be able to enjoy walks around the perimeter of this island, which has played such a huge part in the history of the resort, and the magnificent Pavilion theatre, Dr Fox’s Bath House and the Edwardian Swimming Baths have been preserved for the future.

“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.”

Weston-super-Mare was a popular destination for the Victorians to enjoy the highly-fashionable ‘bathing in the sea’ and the swimming baths at Knightstone Island have a long history.

The modern structures on the island date from its purchase and development by the renowned Bristol physician Dr Edward Long Fox of Bristol in September 1830.

John Howe’s original bath house was opened in 1820 and then rebuilt by Dr Fox, in 1832. Eventually the island was purchased by Weston Urban District Council in 1896 and the magnificent Pavilion Theatre and Edwardian Swimming Baths were built and opened to the public in 1902.

The newly revamped Knightstone Island is now a development of one, two and three-bedroom luxury new and refurbished apartments, together with two ground floor commercial units for café / restaurant use.

For more information log onto Knightstoneisland.redrow.co.uk or Redrow.co.uk.