Bellway has started groundworks on a project which will bring 93 new homes to Wilmington, including apartments within historic Kingsfield House.
The new development, called Cedarcroft, will be located on the western part of the North Kent College campus, off Oakfield Lane. Bellway is renovating Kingsfield House and The Lodge to create 28 converted homes as part of the project.
The demolition of the other buildings on the site, which were no longer needed by the college, has now been completed and groundworks are underway to prepare for the construction of 65 new-build houses and apartments.
The development is due to open this autumn when the first homes will be released for sale.
Ed Brading, Acting Head of Sales for Bellway Thames Gateway, said: “Cedarcroft is set to transform this part of the North Kent College campus into an attractive new residential community for Dartford, set within nearly five acres of green open space including a number of beautiful mature cedar trees which give the development its name.
“The main part of Kingsfield House is being retained and restored to become a landmark feature within the new neighbourhood, and we have now completed the demolition of the unattractive modern extensions which previously detracted from the building’s appearance.
“With groundworks underway, we are looking forward to starting construction of the 65 new-build homes on the site – comprising 37 three, four and five-bedroom houses for private sale and 28 houses and apartments available as affordable housing for local people. These will be highly energy-efficient homes, with solar PV panels and air source heat pumps to reduce carbon emissions and electric vehicle charging points to promote greener travel.
“We are also converting Kingsfield House into 27 one, two and three-bedroom apartments and The Lodge into an attractive and unique three-bedroom house, preserving these two historically significant buildings while providing a further 28 homes for private sale.
“Our development will start a new chapter for this landmark site in Wilmington and we are looking forward to welcoming the first visitors to the development when it opens later this year.”
Kingsfield House was built in 1859 for stockbroker Edward Satterthwaite before being sold to social pioneer Madame Martina Bergman-Osterberg in 1895. She set up a physical training college at the site specialising in gymnastics for girls and young women and is credited with inventing the modern game of netball at the location. Her life is commemorated by two blue English Heritage plaques – one of which is at Kingsfield House.
The college continued to expand following Madame Osterberg’s death in 1915 and was renamed several times, most recently to North Kent College in 2015.
Kingsfield House has been vacant since 2022 and had fallen into a state of disrepair. Its conversion into residential use will ensure its long-term future, while the sale of the land, which is no longer needed by the college, has provided additional funding for education resources. For more information about the new homes at Cedarcroft, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/thames-gateway/cedarcroft.
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