Historic Somerset factory reopens as £7m business hub
The Baily's Buildings, on Beckery Old Road in Glastonbury, served as one of the town's main employers until its closure in the 1980s.
Originally operating as a tannery, glove and rug manufacturer in the 1800s, the buildings later specialised in creating sporting goods - including boxing gloves worn by Henry Cooper, Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson.
The Beckery Island Regeneration Trust (BIRT - which looks after the two buildings), Beard Construction and the Dowlas Property Group have been working closely for more than three years to transform the western building into bespoke business units, backed by around £7m of central government funding via the Glastonbury town deal.
The first phase of the new facility was officially opened on Saturday afternoon (July 18) - with the first of its new tenants expected to move in within a matter of weeks.
BIRT trustee Ian Tucker - who served on Glastonbury Town Council for 50 years between 1972 and 2022 - began the launch event with a speech outside the buildings, with more than 100 local residents and dignitaries in attendance.
He said: "Welcome to the completion of the first two phases of our town deal project.
"It's 100 years since, it is said, that Sir Hubert Parry was stood up on Wearyall Hill and was inspired, having seen the smoke belching out of the nearby chimney, to put the music to William Blake's poem 'Jerusalem' - hence why is is called 'The Glastonbury Song'."
Following two rousing renditions of 'Jerusalem' - led by members of the Glastonbury Brass Band and featuring several local choirs - the building was formally blessed by Reverend Alice Watson, the vicar of St. John's Church in Glastonbury.
Reverend Alice Watson opening the Baily's Buildings in Glastonbury (Image: Daniel Mumby)
She said: "God said: 'See, I am making all things new' - so we give thanks for the history and the deep roots of this place, for the many who have walked through its doors, for all who have given so much to the town of Glastonbury and this building in particular.
"We give thanks for all that will be, for the ways in which this project will enrich people's lives, for all who will work here and for all it will mean for our town.
"Loving God, bless this building and all who will pass through its doors."
Current Glastonbury mayor Zoe Prince added: "It's a great pleasure to be here with you all today for the opening of this wonderful, regenerated building.
Mayor of Glastonbury Zoe Prince opening the Baily's Buildings (Image: Daniel Mumby)
"This is a project that celebrates both our heritage and our future. I am delighted to see this building given a new lease of life; may it serve our community well for many years to come."
The two buildings are separately by the newly-rechristened Millstream Square, which follows the route of Beckery Old Road but is closed to motorised traffic.
The first two phases of regeneration in the western building have now been completed, with office and other employment space being made available across four storeys - along with a secure car park and electric vehicle charging hub.
While the building is fully accessible (with a new lift) and benefits from both high-quality heating, air conditioning and high-speed broadband, every effort has been to made to preserve its historic fabric, including most of the original bricks and many of the original windows.
Phasing plan of the Baily's Buildings in Glastonbury (Image: Daniel Mumby)
Dowlas project manager Matt Tyler said: "It's amazing to be able to see this work finished - it's phenomenal.
"We've currently got tenants on the first and second floor, who have taken space on the third floor as well. They've got around 50 staff.
"We've got the ground floor yet to let, but we've had a lot of interest in it. We want that to be a manufacturing space, bringing some industry back to Glastonbury."
Rather than stretch the government funding over the entire project and leave the building empty until its completion, work on the building has been completed incrementally, allowing each individual unit to be extensively marketed as construction moves forward.
Dowlas project manager Matt Tyler at the Baily's Buildings in Glastonbury (Image: Daniel Mumby)
With each new section that is finished and let, rental income can be recirculated back into the building.
Going forward, additional toilets will be provided on the ground floor along with space for a café and additional flexible offices or workspaces.
Mr Tyler said: "We're starting to work on the next phases - but it's just a question of getting funding. We are putting forward a lot of funding applications - we want to complete the building and make it a space for everybody.
"We want to get community and business support for what we're doing, because this is an asset for the whole community, regenerating this part of Glastonbury for the benefit of the whole town."
Ground floor business space at the Baily's Buildings in Glastonbury (Image: Daniel Mumby)
BIRT is currently bidding for grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to take forward other phases of the project - with trustees expected to find out on August 8 whether they have got through to the second round of the bidding process.
For further details about the future of the project, visit www.beckeryislandregenerationtrust.co.uk.
Somerset Council deputy leader Liz Leyshon (who represents the neighbouring Street division) said the authority would do all it could to drive forward the remaining parts of the project through its economic development team.
She said: "I'm so delighted to see - it's a building I remember really well from my children, when this area was the industrial heart of Glastonbury.
Somerset Council deputy leader Liz Leyshon at the Baily's Buildings in Glastonbury (Image: Daniel Mumby)
"They've done a beautiful job; this quality of restoration makes it a better building than it ever was.
"This is the biggest of the town deal projects, and it's the one where most people will come in to work. I can't wait to see it back in full use.
"We know that there's some more work to be done to get the next rooms complete and join up the different parts of the building so that there's more let-able space - that's the next stage."
