Grove Place was a co-educational independent
school comprising an Elizabethan mansion with
distinctive octagonal stair towers and a 1980s-built
block. Retirement specialist Renaissance Lifecare
worked with architect Powell Dobson on the twin
challenges of restoring the mansion and converting
the modern block as part of a plan to create a
retirement village on the site.
Both projects are now completed, along with some
additional new build accommodation and a new
leisure suite in the grounds. The modern block has
been converted to one, two and three bedroom
apartments. The mansion, which posed the bigger
challenge, has been painstakingly restored and now
contains a range of club-style facilities, including a
restaurant and bar, billiard room, library, lounges and
function rooms, plus entertainment and television
rooms. The mansion's rooms required very little adaptation for
their new uses. A host of period features were
retained, including the oak panelling lining the walls of
the main entrance reception room, the billiard room,
interconnecting corridors and upstairs throughout the
restaurant. An example of Elizabethan graffiti has
been preserved and is now displayed behind glass in
one of the sitting rooms.
The surrounding gardens include formal box-edged
parterres with gravel walks, plus a sensory and
sunken garden. |
