A former Victorian villa, once owned by one of the Manchester ‘merchant princes’ – a leading business owner during the industrial revolution, has recently undergone a £9m transformation into a high-end residential development and we were pleased to be involved.
Located in Bowden, close to the leafy suburb of Hale and bustling Altrincham, the property, originally built in 1861, has been converted from commercial offices into a collection of high-end apartments by developer Real Estate Investment Partnerships.
The rural location, less than 14 miles from the centre of Manchester, has made the area a magnet for those who crave a slice of luxury living, This includes TV celebrities, business owners and premier league footballers. The new development of boutique apartments reflects this aspirational lifestyle.
‘Highbank’ comprises of 11 properties. Six converted luxury apartments and three prestigious new builds. The location is highly desirable, with the expansive gardens of Tatton Park and the National Trust’s Dunham Massey Country Park close by.
It is also located in the village conservation area.
This will always offer a challenge to property developers as was the case here. How to combine the technology of 21st Century living with the heritage of the surrounding area.
Developers, Real Estate Investment Partnerships, ensured that the distinctive Victorian setting, with its established foliage and landscaped courtyards, was retained while the property conversions resorted period features including sash windows and high ceilings, while at the same time create open plan spaces complete with high tech home appliances.
We were invited to design and supply entrance surrounds and piers that not only provided a high-quality impressive entrance way but matched the surrounding buildings in order to comply with the conservation area planning regulations.
We also supplied name stones that perfectly matched the stonework.
We were able to accurately match the architect’s specification with our wetcast stone products supplied as a Portland stone version. The advantage of using our wetcast stone product for the entrance surrounds is that it is both strong and durable. It can also be cast into specific shapes and designs making it a perfect solution when there is a need to replicate an original property.
Serene Stone worked in partnership with Cheadle Hulme based Chrome Services to enable a highly sympathetic development that makes maximum use of existing fittings such as large bay windows while at the same time remove uncomplimentary extensions and alterations added over the years.
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