£1m crusade to save Selsey cottage ruined by fire
A property guru has joined English Heritage in a £1m crusade to save a much-loved Grade II listed building in Selsey.
Sessions Cottages, a 17th-century farmhouse, was razed to the ground after a huge fire in 2006.
There were fears the building, previously owned by Ken and Jean Chapman, would be demolished and replaced with a supermarket or car park.
But now the once-picturesque cottage at High Street can be restored to its former glory, thanks to Sylvia Marshall from Cosyhomesonline.com and English Heritage.
Sylvia, who will appear on our screens later this year on a major new property show, said: "This is a labour of love in every sense.
"Sessions is a wonderful old property that deserves to be restored to its former glory. It is the jewel in the crown of Selsey, and has played a significant and historical part of the village since the 17th century.
"With the help and assistance of the county's business community, my dream and desire is to rebuild the property and reinstate this stunning building as the centrepiece of Selsey."
Sessions Cottage's brick doorway bears the inscription '1728'. It was christened The Old Farmhouse, but takes its current name from the original lord of the manor who held his court sessions there.
On August 1, 2006 a fire ripped through the building, leaving nothing but rubble and charred embers in its wake.
Sylvia bought the building from the previous owners for 300,000 after reading about the blaze – and the loss of Sessions – in the Observer.
However, because of legal wranglings with English Heritage and Chichester District Council, it has taken more than three years to get the restoration project going.
She is now hoping to restore the building and convert it into two semi-detached family homes as it once was.
She is appealing to the county's business community to back her restoration project by investing a total of 700,000 into the build.
For all enquiries contact Sylvia Marshall on 07885 319066.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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