Encore Estate Management

Hidden gems in Suffolk and Essex

Posted: 05 April 2009

Recent instructions for Encore include two magnificent conversions by City & Country Group - the stunning Herringswell Manor, near Newmarket, Suffolk, and Old St Michaels in Braintree, Essex.

Herringswell Manor

Approached along a tree-lined avenue, and set against the backdrop of the rolling Suffolk countryside, this historic estate has played host to nobility and royalty for centuries. The surrounding area  was also  a popular hunting spot favoured by Henry
III and James I.

The first record of a house here dates back as far as Saxon times, with the current construction
a Grade II listed mock Tudor building completed in 1906. This has been
home to a religious community and a Japanese school.

The estate comprises a number of other outbuildings, not forgetting the Japanese Temple, once part of the school and now a stunning living space fit for modern family life. Following the school's closure, City & Country Group acquired the estate and readied it for conversion, combining the best of the old with all that is needed for contemporary living.

Old St Michaels

Completed in 1838, Old St Michaels is steeped in history, beginning life as a workhouse. It was built by Royston architects, William Nash, to the rare hexagonal plan, with a Y-shaped building at its centre. This exists today, as do many of the other outbuildings, including infirmary wings, the original bakery, and the workhouse's main laundry.

Due for completion in autumn 2009, the next phase in the life of Old Saint Michaels will see this Grade II listed building converted into stylish 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, houses and offices, all surrounded by exquisitely landscaped gardens and set behind a smart, gated entrance.

Encore's involvement

Encore will begin estate management services on every level at Herringswell Manor in July and Old St Michaels in September. These are exciting times for the company, and with a rapidly expanding portfolio, Encore's project manager, Duncan Johnson, is enthusiastic: "We very much welcome both new instructions. Schemes of this calibre reflect our ongoing commitment to provide an unrivalled estate and block management service, and we're looking forward to working with our new clients in this respect shortly."