Have you been to Sutton lately?

17th August 2004

Anyone who thinks that new homes are characterless, ugly and uniform can’t have visited one of Sutton’s most recent developments. Taking advantage of the town’s strong industrial heritage, Dobson’s Mill and its extension – Mill View – were created with one eye to Ashfield’s past and another to today’s requirements for comfortable, luxury homes. Less than three years since the development opened, all houses on both sites have been snapped up by home owners keen to have the best of both worlds.

It’s not only home buyers that say the development is good either. Throughout the project, Jane Peters, Honorary Secretary of Sutton Heritage Society has been casting her eye over the site – and the development has certainly met with her approval. Speaking last year, she said: “We’re very pleased with the good job that Fairgrove Homes has made in preserving the heritage of Sutton. We’ve never said this before about a developer. Developers are usually better known for knocking things down and changing them. However, Fairgrove Homes has committed itself to extra expense to ensure the preservation of one of the most important parts of Sutton. I can recommend Fairgrove Homes for future developments as they will be sympathetic to conservation issues, and be assured that they will do a good job.”

Built within the historic grounds of an original cotton mill dating back to the 1700s, Dobson’s Mill played a major role in the development of Sutton life during the industrial revolution. Originally constructed by Samuel Unwin – a contemporary of Arkwright, Hargreaves and Crompton – the mill developed throughout the 18th century to meet growing demand for high quality cotton goods and hosiery. As demand for Unwin’s products grew, new workers moved to the area and Sutton experienced a population boom. In fact, local records reveal that 95 families lived in Sutton in 1700. By 1790, this figure had risen to 3,000.

With the town’s population continuing to grow, and with people wanting a home, not a house, Dobson’s Mill has been a valuable addition to Sutton’s housing stock.

“We aim to develop houses that capture the imagination of our customers,” says Steve Midgley, Managing Director of Fairgrove Homes. “Sutton provided a fantastic opportunity for us to create homes in a rapidly up and coming area that met consumer requirements for individuality in the home and proximity to High Street names in the town.”

About Fairgrove Homes
Fairgrove Homes is a locally owned business that prides itself on building individual homes of character. The company combines quality with small developments in desirable locations to meet customers’ needs. Fairgrove Homes’ current development sites include:

• Dobson’s Mill in Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
• Olders Valley, Woodville, and Old School Woods, Shipley Park, Derbyshire
• The Old Bull Farm, Sutton Bonington, Nottinghamshire.

Further new developments are situated at The Bruntings, Eakring Road, Mansfield, and Orton Fields, Bramcote, Nottinghamshire, as well as Loscoe, Derbyshire.

About Rainbows Children’s Hospice
Rainbows Children’s Hospice is located in Loughborough, Leicestershire, and is the children’s hospice for the East Midlands and South Yorkshire. It provides respite, palliative and terminal care to families who have a child with a life-limiting illness. The charity’s facilities include eight private bedrooms, a music room, soft playroom, multi-sensory room, Jacuzzi and teenage room as well as landscaped gardens. It receives less than 6% statutory funding and relies on donations to raise the £1.6 million needed each year to run the hospice. www.rainbows.co.uk

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