Historic Bristol factory set to be transformed into new homes

The historic dye works and laundry factory in the Bristol neighbourhood of St. Werburghs is being converted into contemporary new homes with the launch of Brooks Dye Works.

Developed by Galliard Homes and Acorn Property Group, the former dye works is undergoing extensive regeneration to offer two, three and four-bedroom homes, open space and improved access to the neighbouring park.

The first release of homes is now available to reserve and properties will be ready to move into in spring 2021.

Brooks Dye Works is the £40 million GDV redevelopment of a historic dye and laundry works, a Victorian family-owned factory that ran for 135 years. After laying derelict for over a decade since the factory closed in 1997, the joint venture developer partners are now breathing new life into the site.

The development is centred around the factory’s iconic nineteenth-century chimney and offers 79 homes, each with a private balcony or terrace, green open space and direct access to the adjacent Mina Road Park.

Originally founded in 1862 by Alfred Brooks, the ‘Brooks Dyers and Cleaners’ factory offered services including dyeing cloths and recolouring faded items. It expanded its services during the Second World War to clean the linen for the military, serving the American soldiers at the nearby Frenchay Hospital and hospital ships that docked in Avonmouth. Following the war, the factory offered dry cleaning services and grew in popularity to eventually service 18 shops in the Bristol region.

The family-run business ran successfully until the founder’s great-great-grandson Simon Brooks retired in 1997.

Since construction began last year, Galliard Homes and Acorn Property Group have transformed the site significantly, with the new contemporary homes drawing inspiration from the site’s industrial heritage.

There will be a mixture of two-bedroom houses, three-bedroom over garage duplexes, and three and four-bedroom houses set amongst landscaped gardens.

The homes will have open-plan living with a flexible design and a ‘high-quality’ specification. Each home will have allocated parking or a private garage, with further visitor parking available.

Buyers who reserve their property early have the opportunity to tailor aspects of their new home, including the kitchen units, choice of floor covering and tile colour. Designer built-in kitchens will be by Magnet Kitchens and come with integrated appliances from leading luxury appliance manufacturer Smeg.

The new homes will use renewable timber frame construction, and sustainable features include smart metres, a sustainable drainage system, double-glazed argon gas filled windows to maximise insulation, secure cycle storage, and electric charging points to some homes.

Construction is being led by regional specialist Halsall Construction Ltd, and the retention of the original dye works’ chimney a core element and focal point of the new scheme, which will connect to the adjacent Mina Road Park

There will also be 24 affordable homes on the site – a mixture of intermediate rent and shared ownership.

The Brooks Dye Works marketing suite will open on site later this spring. The joint venture partnership has a strong record of working together on historic sites to deliver new homes with preserved heritage, including local sites Hope House, a Grade II Listed mansion in Bath, and Brandon Yard, a former Victorian gasworks on Bristol Harbourside.

David Galman, sales director at Galliard Homes, comments: “Brooks Dye Works is the thoughtful reimagination of a historic dyeworks, set to bring sought-after contemporary homes to the area. Bristol’s property market is in particular need of well-designed houses given the prominence of flats in the area.”

“Galliard Homes and Acorn Property Group are working closely together to ensure the new homes offer high-quality design inspired by the site’s original heritage. We anticipate the site to prove very popular with local buyers.”

Robin Squire, regional managing director at Acorn Property Group’s Bristol Office, adds: “The original dyeworks factory on the site of Brooks Dye Works was a successful family-run business spanning 135 years, and it is a delight to see the site brought back to life by the new development.”

“For buyers interested in purchasing a home at Brooks Dye Works, the first release of homes is an exciting opportunity to learn more about the lifestyle on offer. The opening of the marketing suite is highly-anticipated, and we look forward to it opening in the near future.”

First release prices for a three-bedroom duplex with garage start from £375,000, with three-bedroom houses from £435,000 and four-bedroom houses from £485,000.

Full details of the development, specification and floor plans for first release properties are available online. Selected properties are available to purchase with a 5% deposit through the government-backed Help to Buy scheme.

For more information, visit www.acornpropertygroup.org or www.galliardhomes.com.