Hermitage Works
A stunning location and collaborative environment combine to create an impressive workspace. From units to offices, Caroline of Hermitage Works tells us how this project came about.
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How did Hermitage Works begin?
My husband bought the farm nearly 20 years ago. The farmer had literally picked up his animals and left, leaving the feed troughs, milking equipment, straw and muck still in the pens! There were bits of old metal pipes sticking out of the lumpy concrete floors across the courtyards, roofs were partially complete, brambles growing out of the pointing… the whole place was a bit of a disaster! So, in 2009, we decided that we couldn’t let these barns continue to collapse and started to renovate them, section by section, barn by barn. We’ve always been very hands on, so we did the vast majority of the work alongside a couple of fab, local, skilled hands. I kept thinking: ‘I didn’t expect to have “dumper truck driving” on my CV when I was sitting in the careers library at school all those years ago!’ Our first tenants arrived in 2011, and from there it has been a continuous journey of tidying, improving and working on the next barn, and then the next. Our traditional courtyard now has nine offices. The latest phase of our development – the Hermitage Works – has been in our minds for a decade or so. The old asbestos sheds were past repair, and worse, they were built on different levels which made working for our old tenants really difficult, and frankly, dangerous! We knew that we had to re-think the space in order to make it work for everyone. We were also sick and tired of getting up in the middle of the night if we heard a storm raging outside in order to hunt for buckets to put under leaky roofs! We have stuck (mostly) to the original footprint, but we have created another courtyard to keep the units not only sheltered from the elements, but to bring everyone together to create a bit of a community feel. We have brought the roof heights and roller door heights down so we cannot accommodate larger HGVs and, by starting from scratch, it has meant that the space is now fully insulated, energy efficient and truly fit for purpose – ready to be enjoyed by everyone safely! We recognise what an awesome space we have here. We simply want to welcome others to come and enjoy it too. What are you hoping your tenants will get from basing themselves at the Works? Community is at the heart of our site. Our tenants aren’t just tenants; they are part of our family. Everyone has to agree to being a part of a symbiotic relationship, all working together, and we hope that our tenants will ultimately start to feed business to each other simply because they are here doing something they are passionate about and love – that’s contagious isn’t it? Unlike most landlords, we like to really get behind, support and promote our tenants in their efforts and events. Along with pop ups throughout the year that increase footfall, we run our Instagram account, which has thousands of views each month, even before the site is up and running. There are so many gorgeous local people doing gorgeous things and wanting to do them here – and we can’t wait to share them with you all! What sets you apart? I think it is our attention to detail and that we make sure our tenants compliment each other without competition. I am passionate about supporting our tenants, and I see my role as making sure everyone is happy. Happy tenants means I have a happier, easier life! Our main focus and interest for the site is wellness, fitness and health. What are your hopes for 2026? We have SO much planned, it is all really exciting. We have some fab tenants lined up in the new Hermitage Works units. Laura from the Wild Sauna Club will be fully based here, rather than just operating her sauna cold plunge pop ups, and has lots of exciting things planned (see over the page for more!). We hope to host some roller discos, a couple of designer dog shows, some sound healing events, as well as inviting walking groups to come and park with us and head out onto the Jurassic Way. Who would be your dream tenant? Authentic people with passion and drive who simply love doing what they do. We are looking to invite people to come and enjoy our space with different offerings, particularly in the health/wellness area. We have lots of space and whilst we have permanent tenants, we hope businesses will approach us with fun, new ideas for pop up events. We’ve had interest from people looking to do bungee yoga and a whole host of other fab fitness offerings, as well as artists. What are Hermitage Offices? We have nine small offices that we created when we converted the old brick farmyard. It’s small and picturesque. As landlords we are present and available. We believe that communication is key and like to help to accommodate our tenant’s needs (wherever possible). It all boils down to the same idea, that when you join us, you become part of our team, part of our family and in return, we will go that extra mile to promote you. All we ask is that you treat us as you’d want to be treated. It’s that simple! It’s a fantastic location to invite clients, with amazing access to road networks as well as only being 55 mins to St Pancras. There’s loads of parking, a rural landscape and it’s only 3.5 miles away from Harborough. What do you love most about the area? There are just so many interesting, creative and wonderful people who live here, it’s exciting and it’s incredible to see the change in the area in just the last 20 years that I have lived here. Back then it was an old-fashioned farm, we just had Sainsburys and everyone wore wellies! I can’t wait to see what the next 20 years has in store for the area, and the incredible things people are doing and creating! |
Issue 28
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