‘Meet. Discover. Connect.’ is the by-line of Suffolk Mind’s new heritage and wellbeing centre in the centre of Ipswich. The former church of St Mary at the Quay dates back to medieval times. However as activity at the quayside declined it fell into disrepair. Finally in 2010 plans were put forward to restore the building and open it as a new wellbeing centre, renamed as Quay Place. ADVISER spoke to Anna Hughes at Suffolk Mind about the Quay Place project and the challenges they faced when taking on large- scale building work in a historic property.
What inspired you to take on such a project? St Mary’s at the Quay was once a thriving part of the community and holds a prominent piece in Ipswich’s heritage. Sadly it had lain empty for many years and was at serious risk of quite literally falling down. Working with the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) we were able to come up with a plan for a project for repair, conservation and conversion of the building. We didn’t just want to save the site, but we wanted to ensure it had a sustainable long term future. With significant help and funding from our project partners and with the support of grants from InTERREG Two Seas, English Heritage (now Historic England) and the Heritage Lottery Fund we have been able to restore the site and give the building a new purpose in our modern day community. Restoration projects can often be a labour of love, you must have had quite a strong vision for what you wanted to achieve? Yes, it was a huge undertaking, but seeing the transformation spurred everyone on. We had a clear set of aims which helped to keep us focused to restore and rejuvenate the medieval building. Our goal was to take the essence of its former use to create a quiet, beautiful sanctuary in a busy town where visitors could take some time out to reflect and connect with the heritage of the building itself and understand themselves better. There is research underlining the link between wellbeing and heritage and we wanted to create an environment which was both innovative and which would allow us to measure the impact of what we have built on the local community. What did the project involve? The building works were carried out in two phases by Bakers of danbury. Phase one consisted of new roofing and masonry repairs to make the building safe, internal timber cleaning and lime washing and was completed in December 2014. Phase two started almost immediately in January 2015 when work on the rest of the historical fabric and the construction of a new mezzanine floor and a two- storey extension began. When we took over the site there was a cumbersome concrete T-structure holding up the columns of the nave. We replaced that with an elegant steel structure which was more sympathetic to the original architecture and which allowed us to create a mezzanine which means we have a further room and better access to the tower room (which can be used as a meeting room). Throughout the construction, the craft skills and techniques used have been shared, demonstrated and captured on film in order that we can help preserve and promote them for the future.
Are you happy with the results of the rennovation? The project has delivered a beautifully repaired and adapted historic church which marries (no pun intended) the conservation of its important features with a commitment to improving accessibility. We have created a haven which provides complementary therapy services and meeting rooms which stand harmoniously within the historic surroundings, all with a sustainable long term future. How did you involve the local community? It was important to us that we involved as many areas of the community as we could. We provided work experience to local construction students and created a programme of learning and creative activities exploring the people and maritime history of Ipswich. We remain committed to providing a broad range of volunteering and training opportunities, including heritage research, hospitality, archaeology and researching family history. We will be monitoring the link between heritage and wellbeing which will enable us to develop a more detailed evidence base and hopefully inspire more projects like this one. Anna Hughes is clearly passionate about what has been achieved in the project. “We want Quay Place to become a community venue; a space which people enjoy coming to” she says. “You might ask, what a mental health charity is doing connecting with a heritage charity – what is the link? But there are several connections: when you bring people together they will build relationships and feel happier and connected This project has brought the old St Mary at the Quay back into use as Quay Place, ensuring a long term future as a flexible space for heritage, arts, learning, complimentary therapy, social activity and contemplation.” Suffolk Mind is affiliated to Mind and is committed to improving the lives of people with mental health issues. It is an independent charity that works alongside nHS providers to fill the gaps in services that are not routinely provided by the nHS. Suffolk Mind raises money from a number of sources to fund the services it provides including charitable donations and grants from organisations such as Suffolk County Council and NSFT as well as non-charitable trusts and foundations. www.suffolkmind.org.uk If you are contemplating a renovation project then it’s important to arrange the right cover to protect your property during the renovation process. Scrutton Bland recognise that every project is unique, and our property and construction experts have experience in advising clients at every stage of the renovation process, including how to ensure that you have the right cover for work in progress. If you would like any further information, or just want to find out more about what insurance you need when undertaking construction projects, contact Ryan Whybrow on 01206 838400 or ryan.whybrow@ scruttonbland.co.uk
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