Nearly half a century after the doors were shut on one of Somerset’s most important industrial buildings, it is abuzz with people once again.
The former tannery Baily’s Building in Glastonbury, which made gloves for world famous boxer Muhammad Ali in its heyday, has welcomed its first workers in nearly 50 years.
South west-based care company Candlelight Homecare Services has this month moved in, securing it as its new headquarters.
The building has undergone a £7.6 million redevelopment through the Glastonbury Town Deal, which itself was awarded £23.6 million grant from the government’s Towns Fund initiative. Part of the funding for the Baily’s Building came from the Town Deal’s Robert Richards Initiative which aims to deliver sustainability and help Glastonbury become a carbon neutral town.
While one of the main buildings has been renovated to make space for local start-up, small and growing businesses, many of the original features have been retained including exposed walls and the drying tower. The refurbishment has also maintained an industrial feel to hark back to its manufacturing days.
Now, over 60 workers and carers from Candlelight Homecare Services have moved in across two floors creating its new headquarters, managing its four main branches across the UK.
Ken Marshall, Candlelight Homecare Services’ Chief Executive, said: “We absolutely love our new home at the Baily’s Building; it’s just what was needed for us to grow as a business.
“This move will open up so many more opportunities for us, from offering career paths for younger people and inspiring the next generation of carers, to developing and nurturing our existing colleagues, and creating an even stronger, more connected team.”
Upon moving in to their new offices, Candlelight Homecare Services’ founder Cherry Catley-Day, who established the company almost 40 years ago, said: “From a kitchen table in Butleigh in 1988 to this wonderful new home in Glastonbury, what an incredible journey.
“May this building be filled with ideas, opportunity, team work and above all, exceptional care for many years to come.”
The Grade II listed Baily’s Building, which began life as a tannery in the late 1800s and later went on to manufacture sheepskin products, rugs and gloves, has remained derelict since the 1980s when it closed its doors.
The idea of regenerating the old factory was the brainchild of the Beckery Island Regeneration Trust (BIRT), which was set up in the early 2000s to renovate historic commercial buildings in Glastonbury for use as new employment opportunities.
Chairman of the Trust, Ian Tucker, said: “Welcoming people back into the Baily’s Building has been decades in the making, and I am so proud that we have turned that dream into a reality.
“As a listed building, we have been sympathetic to the factory’s heyday and maintained some of the fascinating original features, and when you now see the inside of the building you’ll realise why keeping that history and heritage alive was so important. What we have now created is a fabulous, welcoming space for local businesses and start-ups.
“Our next steps are now to explore further funding opportunities to bring the other Baily’s Buildings into use.”
Rob Taylor, Chairman of the Glastonbury Town Deal, said: “The regeneration and repurposing of the Baily’s Building has been a great success story. Those behind the project have shown great passion for bringing this area of Glastonbury back into beneficial use, and I’m pleased that it could be supported through the Glastonbury Town Deal.
“This project truly epitomises the Town Deal; preserving Glastonbury’s unique heritage, restoring an existing building, and bringing important spaces back into use.”
BIRT is now seeking further funding to renovate other parts of the former Baily’s Factory, including preserving the iconic chimney that dominates the skyline.
Anyone interested in potential future commercial space available at the Baily’s Buildings should contact BIRT via its website: www.beckeryislandregenerationtrust.co.uk or its retained agents GTH.
