Historic Prescot building restored to its original splendour

The property at 7 Market Place is a two-bay, three-storey early Georgian townhouse, with the ground floor being converted to a shopfront in the mid-late 19th century.

It forms part of the Prescot Town Centre Conservation Area and is currently home to Enchanted Circle, a crystal and spiritual shop, and Enchanted Circle Tea Rooms.

The restoration is part of Prescot High Street Heritage Action Zone, a project helping to breathe new life into the historic heart of the town centre through physical building and public realm improvements, as well as cultural activities to regenerate and restore local historic character.

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The specialist restoration work carried out at 7 Market Place includes:

• The reinstatement of a traditional shopfront.
• The reinstatement of traditional sash windows to the front elevation.
• The repair of cast iron rainwater goods to the front elevation.
• Brickwork repair, re-pointing and surface cleaning to the front and side elevation.

Cllr Tony Brennan, Knowsley’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic development said: “The restoration of historical buildings through the Prescot High Streets Heritage Action Zone is an integral part of our ongoing plans to improve and enhance Prescot town centre, ensuring it is an attractive place for people to visit.

“The restoration work at 7 Market Place looks wonderful and has really enhanced the character of this part of the town centre. It complements the nearby Shakespeare North Playhouse and nearby cafes, bars and restaurants.”

The building before the restoration (Image: Knowsley Council)

Anita Allen, building owner, added: “I am very happy with the way the project has gone. The building itself looks like it has a new lease of life it looks great. There’s also more footfall coming into the shop which is good.

“If you look at the before and after photographs, it makes me feel proud of the way it now looks which I could not have done without the help of the grant.”

The restoration of 7 Market Place was carried out by Principal Contractor Rosslee Construction, with subcontractors Halestone Restoration, and architectural services were provided by Cass Associates.

About the Prescot High Street Heritage Action Zone
Prescot was selected as one of the 68 high streets to benefit from the High Streets Heritage Action Zone project in 2020. The £3.1 million heritage-led regeneration programme will see major investment from Knowsley Council and Historic England into a number of key projects in Prescot town centre. In addition, Prescot will see a series of cultural events as part of the HSHAZ Cultural Programme Local Grants, as delivered by the recently established Prescot Cultural Consortium, led by The Shakespeare North Playhouse.