A landmark building in Sudbury – which was completely destroyed by a devastating fire which swept through the town in 2015 – has been officially unveiled following a 14-month rebuild.
The building, at 41-42 Market Hill, was razed to the ground in September 2015 by the blaze, which brought the town to a standstill and left 20 people homeless.
More than three years on and the 19th-century Goldsmith’s Mansion has finally been reconstructed following an extensive rebuilding project by Rose Builders.
MORE: Local businesses come together to rebuild after Sudbury fireThe property has been owned by the Mattingly family since 1874 when Robert Mattingly bought the building as a gentleman’s outfitters.
A total of 25 descendants of Mr Mattingly gathered together at the building today to mark the handover of the new building, alongside Sudbury mayor Sue Ayres and members of the construction team.
The building is not an exact replica but Phil Branton, director at Wincer Kievenaar Architects, said it was pleasing to be able to see parts of the former property retained.
“We were keen to meet the wishes of the Mattingly family who wanted a replacement building that was traditional and echoed the appearance of the original structure,” he said.
“From our point of view, there is great satisfaction from seeing unique aspects of the previous building retained, such as the roundel which mimics the old, but with the current date and the original initials ‘RM’.
“Also, the façade uses bricks cast from the moulds of the old bricks reclaimed after the fire by Bulmer Brick & Tile.”
MORE: 100 firefighters battle major Sudbury blazeRoger Mattingly and Christina Manning, great grandchildren of Robert Mattingly said they were delighted with the result.
“We wanted to ensure that the new building was in keeping with its setting in the town centre and retained its original characteristics, especially from the front,” they said.
“The result is more than we could have hoped for.”
Steven Rose, managing director at Rose Builders added: “The build has gone smoothly, and members of the local community have been excited watching things take shape.
“If we’re to go by the comments from passers-by, they’re very pleased with the look of the new building.”
Marketed by Fenn Wright and Boydens, the building, when completed at the end of December, will house a retail unit and six residential apartments for rent.
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