The conversion of a unique and historic chapel at the former St. Mary’s Hospital in Stannington, Northumberland, delivered by Adderstone Group on behalf of Bellway Homes
Adderstone Group’s projects team brought the former Chapel at St Mary’s Hospital in Stannington back to life in 2017 during a project which involved the complete remodelling and refurbishment of the space, transforming it into a community centre on behalf of client Bellway Homes.
The project was part of the wider creation of Bellway Homes’ Stannington Park housing scheme, with the community centre being a facility for residents.
During the project, Adderstone Projects was tasked with carrying out stone replacement and repair, repointing, rebuild of loose brickwork and restoration of any deterioration to the building. We were also tasked with renovating the existing stained-glass windows, roofing, flooring, and connecting all external services in preparation for opening the new community hall.
However, the most unusual and precious task involved ensuring the protection of a historic Sir Winston Churchill artwork uncovered during renovation plans and dates back to 1943.
During preparation works in advance of development, Bellway Homes had discovered the hand-drawn portrait caricature of Sir Winston Churchill, which had been partially flooded under rainwater.
It is assumed that this was drawn by an inmate performer or a stagehand from the Entertainment National Service Association (ENSA), which was set up in 1939 to provide entertainment for British Armed Forces personnel during the war.
Known initially as Gateshead Mental Hospital, St Mary’s Hospital was built between 1910–14 to accommodate 500 patients. The site included a chapel, recreation hall and administration wing. It became known as St Mary’s Hospital in 1947 when it was absorbed into the NHS and eventually closed in 1995.
Sector | Regeneration / Residential |
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Address | St Mary’s Hospital, Stannington, Northumberland, NE61 6AT |
Project Type | Leisure |
Project Status | Completed development |
Completion Date | 2017 |
Construction Contractor | Adderstone Projects Limited |
Gross Development Value | £400,000 |
Stannington is a small village in Northumberland, situated close to Morpeth and the A1 Motorway.