Lowestoft Abigail Court to be turned in 27 apartments

A nationwide property developer has started construction works as a new lease of life is in store for Abigail Court in Lowestoft.

Work is under way at Abigail Court in Lowestoft. Picture: HJ Collection Developers Ltd (Image: HJ Collection Developers Ltd)

As a former convalescent home the building was used for service personnel in the First World War.

Recalling its history, aviation historian Bob Collis said: "At 4.20am on Tuesday, April 25 1916, during the infamous 'Bombardment of Lowestoft' by two heavy Battle Cruisers from the German High Seas Fleet, a shell from one of the warships struck an upper room in the north east corner of the property, wrecking it and causing most of the contents to collapse to the ground below.

The convalescent home badly damaged in the Bombardment of Lowestoft in 1916. Picture: H Jenkins (Image: H Jenkins) "The room was apparently used by the Hospital Matron but fortunately she was not there at the time of the incident and so escaped injury."

However, others were not so lucky as three people were killed in Sandringham Road when a shell passed through the bedroom of a house.

Mr Collis said: "This attack also saw an extraordinary incident where a large shell passed through 13 houses in Kent Road without exploding - that shell is now exhibited at the Lowestoft Maritime Museum."

With the historic site consisting of three buildings on land covering some 0.170 hectares, Abigail Court was previously a hotel but has since been used as independent flats for over 20 years.

With a bid from applicants HJ Collection 2 Limited lodged with East Suffolk Council last year for "Certificate of lawful use (existing) - use of the ground floor, first floor and second floor of former hotel as independent flats" proposals sought "to establish that the property, known as Abigail Court has been used as flats for a continuous period of time".

A delegated report from the council's case officer granted the Certificate of Lawfulness after "32 flats across the ground, first, and second floors" had been evidenced.

'Exciting progress'

In October this newspaper reported on plans from HJ Collection Developers Ltd to convert part of the ground floor and the upper floors into 27 new apartments.

Now posts on the HJ Collection Developers Ltd website and social media pages highlighted the "exciting progress" being made at Abigail Court in Lowestoft, as "the site steadily progresses towards completion."

Ensuring the site remains secure 24/7, the property developers said that "security shutters and remotely monitored mobile security towers" are in place.

With groundworks having now been completed at the scene, it added: "The exterior has been cleared, with gravel laid to minimise maintenance during construction."

And with the fit-out under way and interior prepared, it said: "The property has been fully stripped out, with asbestos safely removed.

"The transformation has officially begun."