A HISTORIC Thornton building is getting a £500,000 facelift.
Work on the South Square community and arts hub began early last month and the T&A has revealed some eye-catching pictures of the work.
The Lottery-funded restoration, which costs around £500,000, is being carried out by Ilkley-based Hobson Construction Ltd.
The works to the Listed building include replacing the roof, introducing insulation and heating, repairing historic stonework and repairing 99 windows.
David Dawson, financial director of Hobson Construction Ltd, said: “They’re stripping the roof and then re-roofing it. They’ve put up a tent over the building because they have to keep the roof dry. It’s just a precaution against the winter weather.
“Other work taking place includes total re-pointing of the building with lime mortar, repairing all of the sliding sash windows, installing new gutters, putting insulation in the rafters and replastering.
“The sliding sash windows need to be replaced on a tight budget,” said Mr Dawson. “The sills are rotted and need to be replaced with new timber.
“They need to be kept as is because it is a Listed building.”
But he said that repairing the windows, rather than replacing them, does involve less expense.
He did say that although the building is Listed and in a Conservation Area, certain improvements which protect the environment can be done.
“Within the building, we are putting new insulation in the roof rafters. This improves the thermal efficiency of the building and protects the environment.”
The project work, which started on November 2, is due to be completed by June in two phases.
The first phase, which involves half of the horseshoe-shaped building, is due to be be completed by the third week in February, with work on the other half of the building starting after that.
South Square in Thornton dates back to 1832, and is currently home to an art gallery, workshops and business space, a pub and cafe.
Earlier this year it was announced that the centre – a terrace of workers cottages set around a cobbled courtyard a short distance from the Bronte’s birthplace, would get a £561,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to make much-needed repairs to the Listed building.
Topped up with funding from Arts Council England, Garfield Weston, Swire Charitable Trust and Bradford Council, the centre has recently received £926,000, with the remaining cash going to support three years of activities at South Square.
