Work starts on £600k historic Glenthorne House flats project
The scaffolding has gone up and workers have moved in to start a six-figure scheme to convert one of the most historic buildings in a Staffordshire village into flats.
This picture shows the start of the £600,000 project to revive Glenthorne House in Cheslyn Hay, which has stood empty for a number of years. Eleven one-bedroom apartments will be created, with work scheduled to last around 17 weeks and people expected to move in by the end of the year.
Stafford-based Housing Plus is behind the scheme. Cheslyn Hay North councillor Mike Boyle said: "The renovation work has started on the building.
"They seem to be making a good job of it so far.
"The future of this building is a sensitive topic in the village because it is such a big part of our history.
"At one point it was going to be knocked down."
As well as scaffolding, fencing has also been erected around the house.
Glenthorne House in High Street was built by the Hawkins family, who were a prominent family in the area in the 19th century.
It was built in around 1889 by Thomas Albert Hawkins, son of Joseph Hawkins and owner of the Coppice Colliery.
Prior to the Second World War the house was converted into three apartments. South Staffordshire Council later bought Glenthorne and created five flats. Due to the poor state of a section of the building the council had to pull it down.
