THE former Grade II listed Lopes Arms hotel in the Westbury Market Place has successfully been converted into three new homes and the man behind the refurbishment and conversion says that the process has been a “labour of love”.
The building has been rebranded from The Lopes Arms to The Hops and there is now three residential units called Malt, Barley and Blossom.
David Thorne from the Hedge Hunter group, who has been overseeing the work to the former hotel, says, “This building sat empty for five years and we are all looking forward to it being used once again. A lot of money has been spent on this project, but I wanted to make sure we did the right job for the building and I’m really pleased with what we’ve done.
“This has really been a labour of love. The main goal was to leave this Grade II listed building in a better state than it has been for the past few years for history going forward. While pretty much everything has been replaced, we made an effort to salvage as much as we could from the original building.
“We’ve tried to maintain as much of the character of the original building as we could and the façade hasn’t changed. With the barn doors we’ve added some bespoke joinery and we’ve been in consultation with a heritage officer to reproduce what we think is an amazing feature.
“All the windows have been refurbished, we’ve replaced the roof tiles with handmade tiles, added cast-iron guttering, there’s underfloor heating and electric vehicle charging points – no expense has been spared.
“I know there were concerns about the railings in the front of the building and how this could impact the Market Place, but the reason for the railings is because we found cars were blocking the doors which we wanted to keep free.”
The houses are expected to go on the market in September.
Brenda Pyne of Westbury Heritage Society said, “The Lopes was the most important inn in the town and its demise marked the end of an era for the town’s heritage. It is great to see this important building back in use again.”
Cllr Gordon King of Westbury Town Council says he would have liked to have seen more of the original features remain following the conversion.
He said, “There has been a hostelry on the site occupied by the Lopes Arms since the late 15th century though it did not become a coaching inn until the 18th century when stagecoach travel became a necessity as the industrial economy developed after 1760. The current building probably dates from the late 18th century and is brick for brick the most significant historic public access building of interest in Westbury. Its importance cannot nor should be understated.
“That it is no longer either a hostelry or a coaching inn for public access is an argument lost but nevertheless this building remains of significant local interest. That it has been renovated into apartments for residential letting by sale has saved much of its façade. However, I would contend that for a building to retain both its importance and its connection to its own past so much of its original features that gives the building both authenticity and integrity must remain. Without these it is loses that connection to its own past. I have not seen the inside so I cannot comment on the extent to which it has been over manicured into modern luxury living.
“The building was in poor condition, I looked around it before work began, and the renovated finish would suggest that it must have been expensive. But there are some aspects of the renovated exterior that give cause for concern. First, to get most out of the floor space, the coaching entrance and through route has vanished with windows cut into the large wooden doors; how very authentic.
“Next, could they not have fixed the wonky roof, so it remained wonky instead of it being so perfectly restored so that it is now so level and attractive and finally, the fencing around the front of the building was never there in its past and takes away any idea of its former history as a hostelry, coaching house, a place for public access. Just little things that taken together become so significant that makes you feel that you no longer know the building you have known most of your life. It has lost its identity. Perhaps the conservation officer might explain.”
David says that the building has been “sensitively converted” with guidance from heritage officers at Wiltshire Council and added, “We can never keep everyone happy, but we are proud of what we will leave this town knowing we did our best.
“Encouraging speculative capital into Wiltshire and creating jobs here tradesmen spend their wages in local pubs should be applauded and encouraged from our perspective.”
The current 18th century building is believed to stand on the site of a 14th century inn. In the late 1500s it was called the George and Dragon. Renamed the Lord Abingdon Arms in 1754 in honour of the local landowner, it became the Lopes Arms in about 1809 when Sir Manasseh Lopes bought the manor.
By the late 19th century, it was thriving as a commercial and family hotel with horse-drawn transport for hire. An omnibus was sent to meet every train arriving at Westbury station and bring passengers to the hotel. It was also the venue for several local inquests and auction sales.
At the start of the First World War, it was briefly used to accommodate officers from the Army Service Corps. Towards the end of the 20th century, it was renamed again and became the Westbury Hotel, before reverting to the Lopes for its final few years as a public house.
