Heritage Home Renovation, Home Extension

The house was originally constructed in about 1858 by Charles Wingrove, as a two-room, hand-made brick cottage. It was extended a number of times over the years, reaching its present size in about 1870. When Cameron Construction purchased the property in 2004, the cottage was quite derelict, having been unoccupied for a number of years. It had leaking roofs, rotted floors, unstable brickwork, and was the home to a number of possums. The rear wing had been partly demolished, leaving an array of concrete slabs behind and the garden was almost non-existent.

The cottage was extensively repaired, with particular attention being paid to retaining as much of the original fabric as possible. The northern brick gable was cracked due to an inadequate lintel, so required partial re-building. The bricks were all numbered before removal, to ensure the repaired wall was re-built as close as possible to the original. Other bricks were crumbling, so were replaced with hand-made bricks found on the site. Timber verandah posts, beams and brackets were replaced where necessary, with special sections made to match the original. The cottage is to be let as a commercial tenancy, so the kitchen was replaced with a small sink unit and the bathroom converted to include a disabled WC.

A new front garden and fence have been constructed, using old photos and historic records to guide the design. The original bluestone lined open drainage channel running along the north side of the cottage has been cleared and retained, completed with the remnant planting and two small footbridges.

We are proud to have completed the restoration of the historic Wingrove Cottage, to ensure its continued survival for the next century.