If you thought 2018 was a busy year for The Yealm, this year has been even more eventful! We have made so much progress over the last 12 months – if you have missed our updates on the website, Facebook or Instagram, here we retrace our steps over 2019.
The grounds and hotel exterior come alive
The exterior of the old Yealm hotel is well on the way to being restored to its former glory. Standing proudly atop the main house of The Yealm development and surveying their grounds and the river, five beautiful dragons have now been returned to their ancestral home. The first dragon was reinstated to commemorate the development’s topping out ceremony in April and, after a sensitive and careful restoration process, the remaining four wyvern – a winged, two-legged Chimera dragon with a barbed tail – are safely back up on the roof. And just in case you are wondering – we have completely re-slated the roof replacing old timbers and upgrading the insulation to modern standards, replaced the lead and zinc work. We think it is looking fantastic.
The new balconies are another dramatic feature of the building’s conversion. “They are not just balconies but are integrated to support the floor as well as elements of the roof structure, all of which has required considerable skill by Devon Contractors in the installation,” says Colin Souch, Structural Engineer from PCA Consulting Engineers.
Meanwhile, landscaping at The Yealm continues apace. Dartforest Tree Works undertook the vertical mulching of the rooting area of the grounds’ prominent beech tree to alleviate soil compaction around the base of the tree. The team also pollarded a decayed holm oak, removing a couple of dangerous limbs to encourage new growth at the top of the tree, and felled the dead top of a Monterey pine, which was overhanging the woodland footpath.
The Yealm’s tranquil woodland grounds are now complemented by a designer bench and stunning spherical firepit. The woodland bench, created by award-winning local craftsman, Peter Lanyon, will be part of the bigger story of The Yealm development – a talking point and a gentle reminder of the need to preserve the beauty of the natural world. Yealm residents will also be able to keep warm while enjoying the views of the harbour by sitting near the fire pit in the stone seating area. The unusual fire basket, with its curved wave design, was designed by local artist Fiona Waddy and created by local craftsman Tom Harland of Spherical Firepits, based on Dartmoor.
Finally, Wedgewood Groundworks completed the new jetty in the spring. It has an Iroko frame with oak posts and decking. Steps, rope handrails and a ladder complete the jetty, where steamers from Plymouth to the hotel used to land in the 1800s.
Interiors take shape
The homes at The Yealm have really come to life over the last year. Down at Yealm Wood and The Hide, the roofs have been completed, the cables are in place for the electrics, and the pipework ready for the water supply. In Yealm Wood, the underfloor heating has been laid. You can really see Yealm Wood’s beautiful curves materialising now too!
You can also see how stunning the rooms of the former Victorian hotel will be now that the interiors of Apartments 3, 4, 5 and 6 have been plastered, with all that light flooding through the windows. Integrated electrics have been completed, the water supply has been connected and local supplier Yealm Kitchens has commenced with fitting the 15 luxury kitchens.
A Swedish-designed Aritco Home lift – which looks more like a piece of modern art – is due to be installed at the rear of the old hotel building. Acoustic insulation has also been fitted by Red Twin. The acoustics have been set higher than the building regulations to reflect the luxury nature of the development, with a targeted improvement of 8 dB.
In May, we were delighted to reveal new CGI images of the stunning interiors of The Yealm’s apartments, which have all been thoughtfully brought to life by interior designer Debbie Hudson. Yealm Wood’s contemporary three-bedroom Apartment 3 has a coastal, beachy feel, while in Apartment 4 of the former hotel building, Debbie has worked with the existing Victorian features to create a traditional shaker style with a contemporary twist.
Offsite progress at the Yealm
This year, The Yealm went national. Our stunning riverside homes garnered some great publicity in The Telegraph in April, in which Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo are described as “the hidden gems that the locals don’t want you to know about”! In September, we were proud to publish two adverts in The Telegraph on the front page of the Westcountry property special and in the Waterside property special.
Championing The Yealm’s stunning homes is Claire Northmore of Marchand Petit, the estate agent behind the luxury development. Under her leadership, three apartments have been snapped up by early-bird buyers and reservations are being taken off plan.
As work onsite at The Yealm has continued, the marketing team have also been hard at work behind the scenes making sure information about The Yealm is released at the right time. Additional content has been added to the website including the brochure, pricing, an FAQ section and updated floorplans.
The Yealm has continued to sponsor a number of local community events and activities over 2019. Being involved and celebrating the local community has been a priority for Red Earth owner and developer of The Yealm, Simon Friend, ever since 2016, when he first saw a wonderful opportunity to breathe new life into a delightful old building. Alongside the regatta, he has donated towards the publication costs of the History of Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo, the Newton & Noss Community Post Office & Shop and the RNLI race night.
What next?
We are extremely excited about what’s to come in 2020 – a new decade and a new era for the former Yealm hotel! We are aiming for the completion of the whole project during quarter 1 of 2020.
Do continue to stay in touch via our website, on Facebook and Instagram and if you haven’t already, join our mailing list. Until then, from the team at The Yealm, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!
