Overview
We have developed a carefully sequenced capital programme which balances rigorous conservation with delivery capability and contemporary expectations. This ensures the fabric is not only protected but animated by sustainable activity.
Day 1 works focus on bringing the core visitor offer to life. Restoration of the Abbot’s House will unlock a modest hotel, restaurant and event suite. All critical revenue drivers underpinning Ignis Lodge's wider social purpose. Parallel upgrades to the Cloisters establish wellness and community facilities, reinforcing our role as a local health and learning hub. The Chapter House will be sensitively adapted for the transition centre, funded in part by hotel surpluses. Essential infrastructure is addressed through an upgraded car park with EV charging, CCTV and improved access, while the revival of the Historic Gardens repairs past transgressions, boosts biodiversity and showcases heritage horticulture. Collectively these elements, costed at £5.6 million, lift site valuation by an estimated £3–4 million and keep lending metrics within prudent LTV and DSCR thresholds.
Day 2 delivers 'Harvest Hall' a compliant and sensitive marquee. Designed in a heritage-sympathetic palette, the high-capacity structure secures large event bookings and completes the visitor journey, adding further value.
Together, these phased interventions fuse conservation, community benefit and commercial resilience, ensuring the campus thrives for generations to come.
Initial capability for delivery operations
Cost to complete: £1,974,595
Time to complete: 18 weeks
This will involves work to two core areas of the site which we have dubbed The Chapter House and The Cloisters.
Chapter House
The scheme is primarily final fix and furnishing with some internal reconfiguration required within a listed building. Preliminaries total £136k to cover permissions, site setup and management and an £80k fabric contingency to address any hidden heritage defects. Works start with lime wash decoration across 3180m² and acoustic floors across 551m², then heritage toilets and servery. Bespoke oak joinery supplies kitchenette pods for the 20 accommodation units. From week 7 communal lounges, reception and desks are installed; weeks 10-14 add Wi-Fi 6E mesh, Teams rooms, Salto access and fire alarm upgrades. Soft seating, final dressing, deep clean and two-week commissioning follow. Direct works are a total of £913k plus costed risks, fees and 15% contingency yield a £1.41m forecast.
Cloisters
The works are part of a wider scheme as it includes revenue generating spaces. The area is generally sound but there are inspections required and is not listed though is within the curtilage. Preliminaries total £147k to secure safe access beside the listed fabric. Parallel to wider works, we install a 117m² sprung floor gym and a 74m² unisex changing village over a 10-week schedule. During weeks 14–17 we add a heritage framed reception, flexible community meeting room and glazed portico link. Direct works £459k plus £36k costed ring-fenced risk; fees, management and 15% contingency lift the forecast to £0.57m.
Initial capability for revenue operations
Cost to complete: £2,958,888
Time to complete: 16-18 weeks
This will involves work to two core areas of the site which we have dubbed Abbot House and Cloisters with an associated car park.
Abbot House
The scheme is primarily final fix and furnishing with some internal reconfiguration required within a listed building. Up to 50 bedroom en-suites are retiled and ceiling tiles replaced. Meanwhile a 230m² commercial kitchen is stripped out and rebuilt to serve 100-cover dining and 1,000-delegate events. Weeks 4–9 add hybrid-ready meeting rooms, and sympathetic furniture for the restaurant, lounges and bar. The WC provision (3 x 20m²) is made unisex across the building to aid access and usage. Staff areas and laundry are refurnished. Conservation runs in parallel with provision for works to historic window panes, doors and access control. A deep clean, commissioning and snagging complete the scheme. Direct works are £865k plus £7 k risk; fees, management and 15% contingency lift the forecast to £1.28m.
Cloisters
An 18-week works package brings the Cloisters back into meaningful use as a wellness and community hub. This scheme aligns across the social delivery and business revenue operations. Within the revenue operation, the pool and thermal suite (£300k) are renewed with allowance for latent leaks. Parallel fit-outs deliver an orangery tea room lounge and four treatment rooms. Weeks 14–17 add estates, staff and executive offices with MS Teams AV. Direct works £1.314m plus £108k ring-fenced risk; fees, management and 15% contingency lift the forecast to £1.862m.
Car Park
Over 8 weeks, the informal car park is transformed into a compliant, future ready arrival zone. After surveys and heritage approvals, 2,400 m² of new surfacing with aggregate is laid, backed by six extra gullies to protect the listed façade. Four twin 7 kW chargers are installed in ducts sized for future expansion. Pedestrian safety is improved with stone-flag walkways, heritage solar bollards and IP CCTV. Thermoplastic line-marking formalises 70 bays, 6 accessible spaces and 1 coach bay, supported by signage. Direct works £209k plus risks, fees and 15% contingency bring the budget to £353k.
Renewal of environmental heritage
Cost to complete: £297,908
Time to complete: 12-14 weeks
This will involves work to two areas of the site which hold historic relevance and should be restored, renewed and elevated within the storytelling of the site. There are significant biodiversity gains which can be enabled by the work.
Historic Gardens
Over 14 weeks the gardens are reinstated to original Victorian layout, reversing two decades of ad-hoc alterations by former occupants. After safe site set-up, a hardstanding and contaminated ground are remediated. New hoggin paths trace the 19th-century plan, framing a clay-lined pond and heritage fruit borders. Meadow seeding across 1425m², 20 trained fruit trees and 160m² of raised kitchen garden beds revive lost biodiversity and productivity, whilst a 105m² hot house is reglazed and irrigated to reintroduce espaliered stone fruit. Finishing works add rail fencing, interpretation and mulches. Direct cost £197k plus risk, fees and 15% contingency totals £298k.
Extended capability for revenue operations
Cost to complete: £2,248,710
Time to complete: 19-21 weeks
This will involves work to two garden areas of the site which has historic relevance and should be restored, renewed and elevated within the storytelling of the site. There are significant biodiversity gains which can be enabled by the work.
Harvest Hall
A 21-week programme erects a marquee in a sympathetic design and named “Harvest Hall” - 1,200 m² of glazed event space seating 650 (cabaret) or 1,000 (theatre). Helical anchors and low-depth pads establish foundations before the shell, sliding doors and porch achieve weathertightness by week 8. Acoustic partitions, polished screeds and reclaimed boards deliver a heritage finish, while ASHPs, MVHR and LED houselights ensure low-carbon operation. Hybrid event capability comes via CAT-6A, PA, show lighting and video wall; a 30-cubicle washroom, servery and 18m oak bar support high volume functions. Resin-bound paths and meadow seeding bed the structure into the landscape. Direct works £1.576m plus £143k risk, fees, management and 15% contingency bring the forecast to £2.249m. The alternative to a capital outlay would be to seek a leased or rented option.