History preserved, homes made
From legendary novelists to religious persecution. Step inside The Talbot and Granary.
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For over 350 years, Welford was home to The Talbot Inn. A handy halfway stop between Liverpool Docks and London, a place for endless travellers to eat and rest. After years of building developments, as well as changing fortunes, The Talbot became a residential home in the 1950s, and sadly fell into disrepair.
The building had been on Harry Greaves of Renovo Homes’ radar for a long time – especially since the specialist renovation company’s office stands in what used to be the inn’s stables. Harry could, literally, see the incredible potential in rescuing the historic building, so when the opportunity arose to buy it and bring it back to life, there was no looking back. ‘My father lives in one of the thatched cottages behind The Talbot, so it was a building I knew well,’ explains Harry. ‘I just knew it was something that I wanted to do.’ Building work to turn The Talbot and the adjoining granary store into two stunning new homes, officially began in 2023. However, before Harry and his team could start, they had to get through months of planning and conservation consultations, ensuring that this listed building did not lose any of its considerable history. ‘Despite our desire to save the building, the permission stage was definitely the most challenging,’ says Harry. ‘Because The Talbot has hundreds of years of history, there were a lot of concerns, but we worked hard to convince everyone involved that we wanted to preserve as much of the history as possible.’ The history of the Talbot is a huge part of why both The Talbot and Granary are such rich and unique buildings, today. Originally named The Bull, the coaching inn opened in 1600 and offered lodgings and horse changes for people travelling from Liverpool to London. During development, the team discovered an old jail cell, that would have been used to house prisoners on their journey across the country, as well as meathooks in the kitchen for storing and drying meat – both features remain in the house. The living room of The Talbot boasts a huge stone fireplace that is mentioned in Charles Dickens’ Bleak House, making it almost certain that the novelist was a resident at some point, and climbed the beautiful listed staircases. To the left of the fireplace is a square opening, commonly thought to be a priest hole – a place for catholic priests to hide during the reformation. The Talbot’s priest hole is believed to have once been connected to the cellar and an escape tunnel to the stables. In the 1700s, the Spencer family owned the inn and began making changes and expansions to the building. Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, still lives just a few miles away on the Althorp Estate. In the 1950s the Talbot was converted into a 10-bedroom house, however with less-strict laws in place to protect historic buildings, it seemed as though the Talbot’s incredible history was in danger of being lost to disrepair. Renovo Homes, and their sister company Renovo Construction, have done an unbelievable and sympathetic job of turning The Talbot and it’s adjoining grain store, into two unique and stunning family homes. The Talbot retains the weight of hundreds of years of life and history, while the Granary’s modern twists creates a stunning and original home. ‘The issue we had with the Granary was that the only stairway we had was in The Talbot property,’ explains Harry. ‘We did not want to, and due to planning we could not, start making huge holes in the fabric of the building. So, we came up with the idea of encasing the stairway in an IQ glass extension.’ The striking glass ‘box’ is temperature controlled and floods the Granary with natural light. It gives access to the first floor, as well as a basement-adjoining bootroom. ‘Originally, this extension was going to be oak-framed,’ explains Harry. ‘However, the conservation officer wanted us to make it look starkly different to the rest of the building. They wanted it to look new, and I think it is one of my favourite parts of the whole build.’ Taking on such a huge project, with not only the comfort of future residents in mind, but the need to look after a listed building, meant that everything from flooring to mantlepieces had to be considered carefully. ‘We tried to re-use original materials wherever we could,’ says Harry. ‘We saved original flooring and bricks to be used elsewhere in the property and sourced historically accurate materials from reclamation yards, too. Any modern additions, like the kitchens and bathrooms, were supplied by local, family run business, A. Bell & Co of Northampton.’ As we write this, in mid-December 2024, there are several people who have their eyes on the two amazing homes. MaHa was lucky enough to be shown around the properties, and we were immediately struck by how warm and welcoming both properties felt – as well as being expertly crafted. We wondered if Harry would be sad to see them go. ‘Yes!’ laughs Harry. ‘It has been a long journey and if money were no object I would move into one of them in a heartbeat! But I am equally looking forward to seeing them become someone’s much-loved home.’ Despite the project being long and painstakingly meticulous in parts, it has also become a springboard for Renovo. ‘We have had quite a few enquiries for our services thanks to the work we have done here,’ says Harry. ‘We are currently building a beautiful property for a client in Lubenham, and have more in the pipeline. The process of converting The Talbot and Granary has not only resulted in two properties that I am incredibly proud of, but it had also given us a business that has a unique set of skills and a team of knowledgeable tradesman. We can’t wait to see what comes next.’ If you have a project you think Ronovo Construction can help with, contact Harry and the team, below. For more information on The Talbot and Granary, contact Chris at Hortons:
[email protected] or visit hortons.co For Renovo Homes and Renovo Construction, contact Harry: [email protected] or visit renovohomes.co.uk |
Issue 24
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