London & South East Premier Construction

Old Brewery

Old Brewery
Written by Roma Publications

The Old Brewery development – Character is key for new homes scheme

Bringing new life to a former brewery and creating a unique new housing scheme full of character, perfectly reflecting the history of the site, is The Old Brewery development in Chelmsford Road, Hartford End, Chelmsford.

The completed scheme will comprise a total of 26 beautiful new homes situated close to the picturesque and peaceful village of Felsted, nestling in the heart of the Essex countryside.

Set on the banks of the River Chelmer, the development at The Old Brewery is designed to take full advantage of its beautiful countryside setting.

The development is being carried out by Stockplace Homes Ltd.

Founded at Hartford End in 1842, the brewery was once home to the small independent Essex brewers, T. D. Ridley & Sons. Ridley’s were famed in the local area for their milds and bitters including Witch-Finder Porter and Old Bob.

The first phase of the scheme involves the construction of 8 new houses that is due for completion in September 2017. The second phase is due for completion in December 2017 including houses and apartments (one of which is a penthouse), and the refurbishment of four existing brewery workers’ cottages, as well as the retention of part of the brewery that was formerly the grain storage building.

Four of the new houses are within the retained cottages. Sympathetically extended and fully renovated, unifying traditional details with open plan living, these three bedroom homes are ideal for modern families.

The three, four and five bedroom houses range in size from 900 sq ft to 2,650 sq ft and all have gardens, with a communal green open space to be enjoyed by all with public footpaths adjacent to the river Chelmer for that tranquil evening stroll.

Lee Walsom of Stockplace Homes Ltd, project manager for the scheme, said: “The seven new apartments are adjoining the retained structure that was formerly used as a grain store and the façade of new apartment block has been constructed in a design that replicates the style of the original brewery building.”

The refurbishment of the remaining former brewery element involves a complete strip out of the interior, the acid washing and re-pointing of the external facade, the upgrading of the roof, and the installation of damp proofing and new timber framed windows. Internally, all new partitioning is being installed, together with the installation of new kitchens, bathrooms, fixtures and fittings, and all new services. This element also links to the original 80 ft high chimney that has undergone extensive refurbishment to be retained as one of the original features.

The new build houses are all of traditional construction, with external elevations in a mixture of brick and render, with softwood cladding, timber framed windows and pitched tiled and slate roofs.

Lee Walsom said: “The main challenges of the project include the fact that the site is on various levels and adjacent to a river. The differing site levels meant that a “cut and fill” exercise had to be designed prior to the new foundations being poured.

“Significant buyer interest in the properties has already been shown, with seven homes having been reserved well in advance of completion. The project is going well and is on programme.”

A developer with decades of experience in the residential and commercial property investment and development sector, Stockplace pride themselves in paying great attention to detail, as well as the ability to put themselves in the position of the purchaser and considering their needs and aspirations.

As a result, the company’s developments are set above the normal standard offered by larger developers.

Stockplace Homes’ ethos is to stand out in terms of quality, design and value for money and believe that their name and reputation represent the quality end product they offer.

Old Brewery

Regents Contracting Limited

Regents Contracting Limited is a brickwork & bricklaying contractor, specialising in social/private housing and commercial & industrial brick and blockwork. The company has been operating since 1998 and within this time has worked with many prestigious clients including Higgins Construction, Linden Homes Eastern, Mulalley Construction Ltd, Stockplace Ltd and CField Construction.

Past projects have included Ocean Estate and Limehouse London for Higgins Construction; Pages Walk Bermondsey with CField Construction; and the Bow Road Mile End scheme for Linden Homes. Most recently, Regents Contracting Limited has been involved in The Old Brewery project with Stockplace Ltd.

Ryan Merrill, Regents Contracting Limited, said:

“At Regents Contracting Limited, we pride ourselves on our professional management team and skilled workforce which completes projects safely on time and on budget.”

About the author

Roma Publications