Thorpe Coombe House

Team

Project Costs

£633,500

The Grade II listed Thorpe Coombe House, which is located within the curtilage of Langthorne Hospital, Waltham Forest, was originally built as a private villa in the 18th-century but subsequently became part of the hospital. Constructed from London stock brick, it is 3 storeys high (plus a basement) and is 5 bays wide, with the central 3 bays set forward slightly and crowned by a pediment above second floor.

We became involved with the building following an initial request in early 1994 from the London Division of English Heritage. The building was in need of restoration but was also suffering from subsidence. Following negotiations with the owners, Waltham Forest Healthcare NHS Trust, they agreed to transfer the freehold of the building to us for a nominal sum together with a financial dowry.

The restoration project started in September 1997 and once it was completed at the end of August 1998 we leased the building to the North East London Mental Health NHS Trust. More recently, the NHS Trust obtained planning approval to develop the Langthorne Hospital site for residential use, with the receipts from the sale of the site being allocated for a new clinical centre. We entered into a collaboration agreement, including our building as part of the site to be developed, and the building was subsequently sold.

To help fund the capital costs of the project a commercial mortgage was secured from the Co-operative Bank plc, which was offset by the rental income we received once the building was leased out. Following the sale of the building we used our share of sale proceeds repaying the bank loan and to help fund future projects. The project also received grant aid from English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the London Borough of Waltham Forest, the Heritage of London Trust (HOLT) and the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF).

Funding

English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the London Borough of Waltham Forest, the Heritage of London Trust (HOLT), NHS Trust and the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF)