CONSTRUCTION work is nearing completion on a 170-year-old listed building which is being converted into four apartments.

The Grade 2 listed Avon House, off Wilton Road, was purchased by Affordable Housing and Healthcare Group as part of the wider Old Manor Hospital site, which is being transformed into the Chapters independent-living village for over-55s, operated by Platinum Skies.

On completion, Avon House, which dates back to around 1850, will be known as Avon Villa.

It will feature four purpose-built apartments within the two-storey building, one of which will be a duplex as set out in the property’s planning application approved by Wiltshire Council.

The facade of Finch House began to be pulled down in February after it was declared "structurally unsound".

Developers later announced it was to be restored to its "original grandeur". 

'Jewel in the crown'

A three-storey tower leading to an entrance hall and ornate wooden staircase links the four apartments which will have Victorian-style interior design finishes to reflect the age and design of the building. Avon Villa is surrounded by a number of new build lodges and the historic cottages, which have been refurbished and converted as part of the Old Manor Hospital regeneration scheme.

Work is due to be completed on Avon Villa in July, when the building will become home to the four apartments’ residents, who will be part of the wider Chapters community, comprising of a range of apartments, cottages, and houses. Chapters’ homeowners also have use of a range of communal facilities including a bistro and bar area, homeowners’ lounges, activity room, treatment room, and landscaped gardens.

Oliver Hunter, CEO of Construction, said: “Avon Villa is a jewel in the crown of the Chapters site and so it’s brilliant to see this project nearing completion. The team has worked tirelessly to retain and refresh the building’s original features, using high-quality products and finishes to create four one-of-a-kind homes.

"It will enable the apartments’ residents to own a piece of Salisbury’s rich history, while enjoying the benefits of our Chapters independent-living village which enables over-55s to live independent, healthy, happy and active lives.”

Avon Villa is one of three listed assets within the Chapters site, including Finch House, an iconic Grade-II listed 19th-century property, which is being converted into 21 apartments with private communal gardens, and the original fountain sculpture to the entrance courtyard of Finch House.

Work is currently taking place on the Finch House site to install a steel frame and then to create a new concrete flooring base on which the building’s interior walls and structure will be constructed on over the coming months.

For more information, go to Platinumskies.co.uk or call 01202 040996.

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