Work to revitalise a historic Georgian mansion in Rochester is well underway, thanks to government funding. Around £200,000 is being invested to bring the Grade II* listed building on the corner of Hulkes Lane, known as Chatham House, back to its former glory. The project involves reinstating a copy of the original porch and railings, which were removed in 1936 to create a modern shop front. New entrance steps will also be installed, while external repairs to the façade of the building will be made. Dating back to the 18th century, it was originally built as a mansion for the Hulkes and Arkcoll brewing families. It was later acquired by Featherstones Ltd in the early 1930s when it became home to the furniture, carpet and hardware departments of the historic family-run department store chain. A single-storey shopfront was built in the forecourt of Chatham House at this time, which saw the removal of original features including the railings, and demolished in 2003. Medway Council is working closely with Historic England and Featherstones Ltd to restore the front of the building. It forms the first stage of a long-term project to bring the building back into use and is also the first major capital project funded by the High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) programme, which runs until 2024. Future Chatham and Creatabot have been commissioned to run a reminiscence project and local residents are encouraged to send photographs and memories of the former Featherstones department stores to [email protected]. The photos and anecdotes received will be used to inspire further community projects and also be added to the collections at the Medway Archives Centre. "Medway is steeped in history, and I am pleased that we are working with Historic England to help preserve the future of one of our historic high streets." Leader of Medway Council, Cllr Alan Jarrett, said: “I am delighted that work has begun to restore the front of Chatham House.
"This exciting project is the first of many which will benefit from funding thanks to Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zone Programme. "Medway is steeped in history, and I am pleased that we are working with Historic England to help preserve the future of one of our historic high streets. I look forward to watching the works progress.” Sheila Featherstone said: “Featherstones are delighted to have this opportunity to work with Medway Council and Historic England to revitalise this wonderful building. "Four generations of the Featherstone family have been involved in the High Street, initially as retailers and latterly as custodians of significant historic buildings, providing workspace for a variety of small businesses. "Despite our best intentions we have not been able to restore them to their former glory due to financial constraints, thus Chatham House remains in its original form ready to be rediscovered and enjoyed." In 2020, Medway Council was awarded £1.6 million of government funding to revitalise a section of the Star Hill to Sun Pier Conservation Area, which covers parts of Chatham and Rochester high streets, as part of Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zone Programme. Find out more about the High Street Heritage Action Zone programme in Medway by clicking here.
Neville Piper
27/1/2022 23:22:41
My Dad worked for Featherstones for many years, so my sisters and I would often be somewhere about the Rochester site. Comments are closed.
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