A pioneering project to regenerate a historic cottage involving hundreds of Northampton College students has begun at Delapré Abbey.
The historic Northampton site 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.
Students from Northampton College started work on regenerating an abandoned 19th century cottage on the site known as Gardener’s Cottage Number 2.
Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust Deputy Chief Executive Amanda Nicols-Polinska said: “This partnership will create a legacy for our community and provide 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.”
Prior to work starting, the students have worked with the Health and Safety Executive on the plans for the regeneration.
Throughout the project they will be supported by Northampton College’s team of Construction lecturers and will receive on-site training from leading industry experts, including Harlestone Restoration Ltd, Metcalf Commercial Decorators and Castle Climate Control.
The project launched this week with the arrival of a team of the College’s T Level surveying students who are setting the site up so construction work can begin.
The students and apprentices will restore doors and sash windows and carry out brickwork, repointing, rewiring, plumbing and decorating as well as hard landscaping in the garden.
When work on the cottage is complete, it will be used as offices for psychology and therapy services.
Northampton College curriculum manager for Construction, Mark Bradshaw, 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 will learn vital heritage construction skills which are in great demand across the country.
“The vast majority of construction students and apprentices in this country don’t get the chance to work on older buildings so this project will put our students ahead of the curve.
“We’re so grateful to Delapré Abbey for providing our students with this incredible opportunity. Our heartfelt 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.”
Amanda added: “We’re incredibly grateful to Northampton College and to Metcalf Commercial Decorators for their support and generosity.
“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 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.
