Hard Hat Tours Available at £130m HMS Ganges Redevelopment
We are now offering prospective purchasers hard hat tours of our £130m Barrelman’s Point development, which is on the Shotley Peninsula, in Ipswich, Suffolk. The restoration and redevelopment of the former HMS Ganges training base will see the first tranche of 285 new houses ready to move into this summer.
The 60-acre coastal development of two-, three-, four-, and five-bedroom houses sits at the southern end of the Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB. Shotley’s Royal Navy Training Establishment had lain derelict for 46 years, and Wavensmere Homes’ team is part-way through a painstaking 18-month restoration process to bring the Grade II Listed 142ft mast back to its former glory.
30% of the first phase of 81 high-specification homes have already been matched with buyers at the off-plan stage. Two-bedroom semi-detached and terraced Baker, Hayes, and Nicholson houses are priced from £280,000 to £285,000. Three-bedroom Luttrell, Truscott, Archer, and Brisbane houses are priced from £365,000 to £375,000. Four-bedroom detached Boston homes are priced at £450,000, while five-bedroom executive Campbell houses are priced at £525,000. All homes feature air-source heat pumps, EV car charging points, and have been designed using a fabric-first approach, to retain heat energy.
James Dickens, Managing Director at Wavensmere Homes, said: “HMS Ganges holds so many memories for so many people. We are thrilled to be at a point with the Barrelman’s Point restoration and build programme where we can now offer hard hat tours to those looking to own their own slice of history. The 285 houses we are creating here will sit across this 60-acre coastal site, alongside the awe-inspiring mast, and the other features we are in the process of restoring, such as the main gates, the parade ground, Nelson Hall, a mid 19th Century fort, and a Martello tower.
“The scale of Barrelman’s Point is enabling us to deliver a new waterside village within Shotley, significantly boosting the local economy and amenity provision. We are proud to be reanimating this atmospheric site and are pleased to now welcome prospective purchasers to the site so they can see how the development is taking shape and choose their preferred home design and plot.”
More than 160,000 Navy recruits passed through the gates of the HMS Ganges training base, until its closure in June 1976 and the symbolic mast is the best-known landmark across the entire Shotley Peninsula. Made of iron, steel, and timber, it dates back to 1865, and was erected in 1907 where HMS Ganges, a 74-gun 18th Century ship had stood, before retiring to Chatham Dockyard in Kent two years prior. A ceremony took place in mid-2022 to commemorate the last time the mast was manned, which was on 6th June 1974. All sections of the mast have since been taken down by specialist restorers, except for the lower steel section.
Wavensmere Homes’ plans for phase one at Barrelman’s Point were approved by Babergh District Council in 2021. Alongside the 81 homes, a nursing home, retail and sports facilities, office space, and a hotel are currently being delivered by the award-winning housebuilder. The historic Nelson Hall – a former drill hall – will also be restored and redeveloped to create a public library and large café space. The vast hall is currently being utilised to restore the mast.
Exclusive amenities for residents’ use, include a gymnasium, co-working space, and a screening room to watch films on a big screen, with a low service charge for the communal amenities shared across all 285 homes. Across the 60-acre development, there will be landscaped public open spaces, new biodiverse meadow planting, tree lined avenues, and children’s play areas.
The name for the development – Barrelman’s Point – gives affirmation to the person who would be stationed in the barrel of the foremast to aid navigation of the vessel. HMS Ganges Museum and Shotley Marina are both only a few minutes’ walk from the new development. The village of Shotley also includes a primary school and local facilities.
The B1456 is nearby to the development, leading to the A137. The A120, A12, and A14 are also easily accessible, providing convenient travel across the county and beyond. The historic city of Ipswich is five miles away, which includes a host of town centre amenities and visitor attractions. There are frequent services from Ipswich train station to London Liverpool Street, which take an hour.
Wavensmere Homes is delivering Barrelman’s Point in partnership with Galliard Homes. Headquartered in Edgbaston, Birmingham, we have close to 3,500 properties in production, or in planning.
