Bringing history back to life

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 projects in the north west of England.

Among them are fabulous stone-built properties at one of Redrow’s most ambitious restoration projects, Arcon Village, in Horwich, and the Grade II* listed Worden Old Hall, at Buckshaw Village, near Chorley, which has been renovated to create a stunning family home.

Christine Aitken, sales director for Redrow Homes (Lancashire), says: “Redrow is much more than just a house builder. We care about the communities in which we operate and, when possible, like to restore beautiful and historical buildings and give a new lease of life to these stunning properties.

“Over the years we’ve done a number of refurbishment schemes in the north west, most recently at Worden Old Hall, near Chorley, and Arcon Mill, at Horwich, where we have recognised the importance of these buildings in local history.”

Worden Old Hall was rescued from the English Heritage buildings ‘at risk’ register in a joint project between Redrow and Barratt Homes.

The magnificent property began life as the home of the Farrington family and by the mid 17th century was one of the most important homes in Lancashire and much larger than the structure that stands today. In the 18th century its size and status was reduced to that of a tenanted farmhouse and the family moved into the neighbouring hall as their main residence. Many parts were demolished and by the early 20th century the building was in a poor condition.

In 1936 the government established Royal Ordnance Factory, Chorley, an ammunitions factory complex, which encompassed Worden Old Hall, and it appears that the building was used for storage during that period. Over the years it gradually fell into a state of dereliction and in the 1970s it was registered as a Grade II* listed building and in need of protection.

When Redrow and Barratt began to develop the 395-acre former ROF site as a mixed-use urban village, Worden Old Hall was in a dangerous condition. A portion of the south west wall had collapsed, other walls were unstable, the roof was leaking and the floors were unsafe.

In 2002 the building was shored and propped up to allow safe access for surveying and an adjoining single-storey ROF building was removed to return the hall to a detached building.

Christine adds: “Original features dating back to 1509 have been restored to their former glory in this spectacular old building, which has now been given a new purpose as a modern family home. We have retained as much historic material as possible and the timber frame of the original hall survives.

“Repairs to the oak frame were carried out by skilled craftsmen using traditional techniques, with traditional materials such as lime plaster and lime mortar used throughout.”

The restoration work began in 2004 and was completed in February 2007 and now this magnificent five-bedroom property, set in a quarter of an acre, is on the market for £749,950. It forms part of the wider Buckshaw Village, which features new homes for people on every stage of the property ladder, as well as employment, shopping and leisure facilities.

In Horwich, near Bolton, Arcon Village’s origins lie in an 18th century bleach works, which was founded by the Ridgeway family.

In line with their Grade II listed status, each stone built property at Arcon Village is being delicately restored to encapsulate the essence of the area’s industrial heritage and the 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, providing a central landmark feature for this already fine venture.

Christine comments: “We’re breathing new life into the redundant buildings, capturing the spirit of the development’s 18th century history, while endeavouring to craft the ultimate in 21st century living for the modern home buyer.

“We recognise that the refurbishment of the buildings is of major local interest and have been working with the local authority, as well as English Heritage and the University of Manchester’s Archaeological unit, to sympathetically convert the buildings to homes steeped in character.

“The stone buildings create an impressive landmark on the local landscape, and the rejuvenation of this site will ensure the legacy of the Ridgeway family is retained for a very long time.”

Arcon Village is situated on the edge of Horwich, surrounded by panoramic views of the West Pennine moors. The town has its own shops, pubs, restaurants, a market hall and a thriving heritage centre, while the cosmopolitan city centres of Bolton and Manchester are both easily reached.

Following on from these successful schemes Redrow has recently launched its Church Gate venture, in Milnrow, near Rochdale which includes part-refurbishment of the old Dale Mill.

For general information about Redrow’s new and refurbished properties visit Redrow.co.uk.