Email to a friend | Read later | Your comments
Wednesday, 25th July 2007

Back to the future

HISTORY: Jamie Shepherd
HISTORY: Jamie Shepherd
THE last of the 17th century buildings dismantled and put into store to make way for Manchester Airport’s second runway are to become part of a massive new mansion.
 
Two historic houses have already been re-built – Hanson House on Moss Lane at Siddington and Hill House on Nursery Lane at Nether Alderley.

Now the outbuildings and mews from Hanson House will form part of a new house nearby on the site of a former warehouse on Bollington Lane.
 
Macclesfield council gave the go-ahead for the site to be used for residential development because of the special circumstances and its desire to see the ancient buildings retained locally.
 
The ancient oak frame will form one long wing of a new 8,500sq ft property that will be home for developer Jamie Sheppard.

He said: “I found out about the barn and the site through a great friend of mine who had been planning to make it his own grand design but who I guess just ran out of steam and decided to stand back.
 
“I loved the idea of taking something so old and incorporating into a new build. and

Advertisement your story continues below

“We have had to re-negotiate with the planners to make the internal lay-out more contemporary and to include larger windows to allow more light.

Medieval
 
“The result is that we have a medieval shell on the outside but a very modern living space on the inside.”
 
The 17th century timber structure is being restored by specialists in St Asaph in north Wales and about 30 per cent will have to be replaced.

A replica wing is also being built out of green oak by Herefordshire-based Oakright and the two companies will come together on the site later this summer.
 
Jamie, boss of Forward Partnership which is developing Forward Point at Widnes Waterfront, said: “That will be the moment of truth – to see if it all fits together!
 
“We have done lots of residential schemes before and lots of restorations but nothing like this.

I have never built a house for myself before so it is incredibly exciting.”
 
Work has already been going on-site for six months laying foundations and services and once the frames are both up the rest of the house could be completed within six months.

As well as light and open plan living in the dining rooms to show off the frames, the house will have five en-suite bedrooms and leisure facilities including a pool, gym, sauna, steam room and cinema room and a five car garage with staff accommodation.
 
But the atrocious wet weather means that the ambitious £3m build project is already six or seven weeks behind schedule and the team are hoping for a dry spell to erect the frames.