A pioneering project to regenerate a historic cottage in the grounds of Delapré Abbey has been hailed as a ‘celebration of collaboration’ – with hundreds of Northampton College students teaming up with local employers to work on the renovation.
Delapré Abbey is undergoing a multi-million-pound project supported by the Lottery Heritage Fund to transform its stables into a dynamic, mixed-use development featuring dedicated spaces for retail, events and wellbeing activities.
Late last year, students from Northampton College worked with the Health and Safety Executive on the plans for the regeneration of an abandoned 19th century cottage on the site, known as Gardener’s Cottage Number 2.
T Level surveying students then set the site up so construction work could begin, with students from a wide range of construction courses and apprentices restoring doors and sash windows, carrying out brickwork, repointing, rewiring, plumbing and decorating, as well as hard landscaping in the garden.
Throughout the project, the students are being supported by Northampton College’s team of construction lecturers and are receiving on-site training from leading industry experts, including Harlestone Restoration Ltd, Metcalf Commercial Decorators, Lawrence Electrical and Castle Climate Control.
When work on the cottage is complete, it will be used as offices for psychology and therapy services.
Mark Bradshaw, curriculum manager for construction at Northampton College, said: “Delapré Abbey is a hugely important national site and the opportunity for our students to completely regenerate one of its properties is unprecedented.
“Working with leading industry experts, they are learning vital heritage construction skills which are in great demand across the country.
“Already they have made a huge difference and reimagined the space, allowing it to continue to serve the community for generations to come. Work has progressed at pace, with the building stripped out, replastered and plumbing and electrical work now completed. We’re hoping the project could be completed by Easter.
“The vast majority of construction students and apprentices in this country don’t get the chance to work on older buildings, so this project is putting our students ahead of the curve.
“We’re so grateful to Delapré Abbey for providing our students with this incredible opportunity. Our thanks also go to the industry experts who are giving up their valuable time to support our students on this project. In particular, we’d like to thank Ian Metcalf, of Metcalf Commercial Decorators, who has been instrumental in getting us involved in this project and has been so generous in his time with our students.”
The Cottage project is the latest in a series of initiatives Northampton College students have been involved in at Delapré Abbey. Performing Arts students have taken part in events at the historic venue and students restored the area around Sir Frank Dobson’s much-loved ‘Woman With A Fish’ statue in Delapré Abbey’s walled garden.
Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust Deputy Chief Executive Amanda Nicols-Polinska said: “This partnership is creating a legacy for our community and providing the students with skills they can take forward into their future careers.
“We hope it can be used as a model by other historic sites and colleges across the country.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Northampton College and to all the industry partners for their support and generosity. It really is a celebration of the power of collaboration.
“We’re excited to be working together on what we believe to be an innovative project that not only offers real hands-on opportunities for students, but also has the potential to inspire and unlock similar collaborations across other heritage sites in the future.”
The project has already sparked interest within both the heritage and construction sectors and across further education. Mark and Amanda have been invited to discuss the project at the Empty Homes Network’s national conference while other colleges have also expressed interest in establishing similar schemes across the country.
Multiple businesses have also expressed interest in taking on apprentices as a result of the project, having been impressed by the workmanship on show throughout the restoration.
Mark added: “I have had the opportunity to work on plenty of community projects over the years, but this is certainly the most ambitious and, so far, has been the most rewarding.
“The scale of the project means we have been able to get hundreds of students involved and they have experienced working with so many local employers – building relationships and putting themselves in the shop window for future work.
“The support of industry has been vital, and we are grateful to companies including Hevey, John Nicholls Trade, Jim Macqueen Plastering and Electric Hub Wholesale who have all donated supplies, their time or offered heavily discounted items for us to use.”
To find out more about construction courses, visit the Northampton College website.
