Plan to 'breathe fresh life into historic Shrewsbury gem' as Rowley's Warehouse and Mansion to be brought back into use
A historic pair of buildings in Shrewsbury are to get a new lease of life following a partnership initiative that promises to "breathe new life into the historic gem".
Rowley’s Warehouse and Mansion are some of the most treasured and celebrated historical buildings in the medieval county town. They were built by a wool merchant in the 1500s and comprise a late-16th-century timber-framed warehouse and a brick mansion.
The pair of buildings are unique in a number of ways, including never having had any stairs, with each floor accessed by ladders. A later extension houses a fine wooden staircase which sticks out on the southeast side.
The Grade II-listed building has since fallen into disrepair - though is not unusable thanks to efforts to keep the historic house standing - and plans were being drawn up to refurbish it and bring it back into use two years ago.
Now members of Shropshire Council, the Shrewsbury BID, and town MP Julia Buckley have partnered with other local community groups and a project delivery team to see the the refurbishment of the well-known pair of buildings – one of which is actually one of the first brick-built buildings in Britain.
The team have big plans for the property, outlined in Shropshire Council’s published Conservation Management Plan.
The project has been invited to submit a funding application to the Heritage Lottery Enterprise Fund for a grant to repair and restore the buildings for economic use.
Julia Buckley MP paid a visit two weeks ago, led on a tour by Peter Gilbertson, the senior project management officer of the house.
Dr. Buckley said that she was pleased to have the opportunity to better understand the heritage restoration proposal.
“What a fantastic opportunity to breathe fresh life into this historic gem in the heart of our town centre. I am 100 per cent behind this proposal for the funding application which could lead to a viable economic end use for this beautiful property.”
You can access Shropshire Council’s proposed Conservation Management Plan for Rowley’s Warehouse and Mansion here: Rowleys-Warehouse-Mansion-CMP-FINAL-FOR-ADOPTION.pdf.
