Devon manor house is opened as business hub
ACONVERTED Georgian manor house near Exeter has been officially opened as a business and leisure hub, following its £2 million refurbishment.
Dating from the late 18th century, Winslade Manor stands at the heart of the 86-acre development of offices, homes and leisure facilities at Winslade Park, Clyst St Mary. Once complete, it will have an expected market value of £80 million.
The first commercial tenants have moved in following the Grade II* listed manor’s refurbishment, which finished on schedule in under a year with, building work continuing despite three national lockdowns.
Paul Scantlebury and Mark Edworthy, the founders of property owner Burrington Estates, along with the property group’s commercial managing director Matthew Bennett, declared the renovated building open in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. They were joined by Ritchie Watson, lending director at specialist lender Together, which provided a £15 million loan facility for the major project, and the finance group’s commercial chief executive, Marc Goldberg.
Mr Watson said: “It’s an absolute pleasure to cut the ribbon at Winslade Manor, marking the first stage of this fantastic development. From the outset, we were impressed with the ambition of Burrington’s plans and it’s great to see them starting to come to fruition.”
The first business tenants, global infrastructure specialist AECOM, Blue Marble Environmental Partnerships and LRM Planning, were able to move into their offices on schedule, after planning permission was granted in November 2020. Winslade Manor Restaurant and Bar will open as soon as Government guidelines allow, with chef director Matt Mason creating a “casual, elegant” dining experience for guests with a menu of local, seasonal produce.
Mr Scantlebury said: “Everyone has worked tirelessly to get to this point, a major achievement in the face of additional pressures from Covid-19 and the various lockdowns. This is a huge milestone for us, and we look forward to seeing the reactions of visitors when they see inside for the first time.”
The next phase of the project will include refurbishment of existing offices on the site. A development of new homes planned for Winslade Park is currently at detailed planning stage, with building work due to start later in 2021.