Carmalor Construction have been working with Guy Taylor Associates to refurbish a 19th century Wheelwrights building next to the river on Millgate into new offices.
AN 19th century building in the town centre has been given a modern makeover thanks to a team effort from two local businesses.
Carmalor Construction have been working with Lucy Formay, an architect from Guy Taylor Associates, to refurbish an old Wheelwrights building next to the river on Millgate into new offices.
The building, owned by John Coles, is believed to be an old stable block built in the early 19th century for the dray horses which would cart imported products from the Wharf side up to the breweries, and it was converted into a wheelwrights in the 1980s as part of the Millgate regeneration scheme.
Redevelopment for Guy Taylor Associates at Millgate by Carmalor Construction photo'd L to R Mark Brown MD of Carmalor Construction John Coles owner of the building Lucy Formay architect for Guy Taylor Associates. (8771003)
The team managed to restore the frontage to the old stables on the oldest wing, and the newer wing with a modern insertion, which fronts the river with a glazed gable overlooking the river. The team used materials including brick and pantiles on the stable block to reflect the existing materials, and charred timber and slate on the new wing to bring a modern twist to historic materials.
They were also able to use some original wooden timbers to make office furniture, including a boardroom table and a coffee table in John's office upstairs.
John said: "This was a real labour of love for me and not a commercial thing, Millgate is very close to my heart and I have been operating out of this area for a long time. Guy Taylor has done a wonderful job and I love the end result."
There were a few logistical problems due to the small space they had to work with, and they had to have scaffolding in the river with a lifeguard on duty in case they fell in.
Lucy said: "A lot of the existing structure was in a poor state, but we managed to retain certain original assets and negotiated with the Canal and Rivers Trust as the building is in a conservation area."
Ruth Melling, business and marketing manager at Carmalor, said: "For us it is just a lovely example of local businesses working together to restore a piece of Newark’s history."
The project has even been nominated for an East Midlands Celebrating Construction Award for Preservation and Rejuvenation which rewards businesses for their conservation work on listed buildings. The team will find out if they have been successful during the awards ceremony at The Nottingham Belfry on May 10.
