Historic Cornish building brought back to life

The former Holman Brothers Rock Drill Department building at one of the gateways to Camborne in Cornwall has been brought back to life once more thanks to a regeneration project by Coastline Housing.

The iconic building on the edge of the railway line in Camborne, will be a familiar sight to many locals and visitors alike and was once a hive of industry where workers for Holman Brothers Ltd manufactured and tested steel bars and drill components that were used world-wide.

It now features two, 2-bedroom level access flats that form part of Coastline’s affordable housing offering in the town centre.

The project had a value of £240,000 and was delivered with funding help from Cornwall Council.

The large regeneration project saw Coastline working closely with the Historic Environment Services Team at Cornwall Council, aware of the importance of preserving the great history of the building.

Chris Weston, Director of Development and Commercial Services at Coastline, said: “Our in-house contracting team, Coastline Services, has literally been working day and night to bring this building back to life over recent months. This has involved complex joint working with Network Rail at points where, due to the building’s proximity to the railway line, temporary rail and road closures had to take place at times overnight to enable us to carry out works.”

Coastline employed local firm David Gilbert Joinery to create the bespoke arched windows at this development, giving the project some fantastic local craftsmanship that will last for many years to come.

Chris added: “We are very proud to be bringing this historic building at one of the key entrances to Camborne back into use and restoring some of its former glory.”