A topping out ceremony has taken place at a historic building right in the heart of Calne.
The iconic Lansdowne Strand Hotel, owned by Wiltshire brewery, Arkell’s, has undergone a comprehensive reconstruction of its outbuildings to the rear of the hotel, aiming to restore them to their former glory.
The ceremony, signifying the completion of the building’s structural work, saw the Mayor of Calne, Robert MacNaughton, and George Arkell, Managing Director of Arkell’s Brewery affix the final tile on the roof of the old barn.
From left: George Arkell, Calne Mayor Robert MacNaughton and Matt Sansum
The Grade II listed building has survived for five centuries, as the coaching inn dates back to the 16th century. The original outbuildings were a former malthouse and grain store which later became a brewery, and they have been slowly crumbling for the last twenty years.
Since Arkell’s bought the hotel in 2007, it had been unsafe to even enter inside that part of the building.
The transformation of the outbuildings - the old barn and the old stable block, began almost twelve months ago. Arkell’s long-term plan was always to bring them back to life, and in early 2023 they began working closely with Architectural Practice Clark and Maslin, based in Malmesbury, and appointed building company Edmont Ltd, from Swindon to lead the project. Their efforts, supported by the input from Helen Garside, Conservation Officer at Wiltshire Council, focused on retaining as much of the original building material and features as possible.
George Arkell expressed pride in the meticulous restoration work, particularly highlighting the contribution of Edmont’s site manager, Matt Sansum. He stated: “So far, we’ve invested nearly a million pounds in restoring this historical gem, making it not only structurally sound but also bringing it back into use. With the Mayor of Calne laying the final tile, we are pleased to be moving into phase two, which will be to initially add eight letting rooms in the old maltings.”
George Arkell and Calne Mayor placing the final tile
Following a walk-through of the outbuildings, the Mayor of Calne commented how magnificent the work was and how fantastic it was for the town of Calne that this building work had been completed.
He went on to acknowledge the strength of character of George Arkell for having committed to invest in the works. “It’s great for the town and I’d like the town to know what you have done, the courage that you had, to get the building to where we are now. The history of Calne has been revived through the act of you signing off this work, so thank you.”
Under the management of Joel & Anna Lear since 2016, The Lansdowne has re-established itself as a cornerstone of Calne’s hospitality scene.
Beyond its reputation as a distinguished hotel, The Lansdowne is a popular pub in the town and is renowned for its 2 AA Rosette restaurant.
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