Lovell Homes, a prominent housebuilder, has recently christened a new development as a tribute to the iconic mining artist of Spennymoor, Norman Cornish.
In recognition of the local artist’s legacy, some of the street names have been named after his most famous works which have also gone on to inspire the names of the new show homes. The three-bedroom show home, The Cornish and the four-bedroom show home, The Ramsey, feature plenty of references to Norman’s work too, including displays of some of his works on the walls.
To celebrate, his son John Cornish was invited to view the new show homes at the Cornish Park development for the first time.
John Cornish said: “This is certainly a unique way of recognising my father’s legacy and his contribution to the history of the Spennymoor and its people. We’re so pleased that Lovell has not only named the development in his honour, but also featured some of his work in the new show homes too.
“The location of the new housing development is very significant in that it is built a short distance from the route of my father’s journey on foot to work at the colliery.
“He walked the ‘pit road’ daily as he went from his home in Spennymoor to the colliery at Ferryhill. Today, however, all remnants of the colliery and the pit road are gone with Lovell’s development sitting a few hundred yards from the path – his memory couldn’t have been in a more perfect place.”
The Cornish’s interior scheme takes inspiration from the watercolours used in Norman Cornish’s art, featuring abstract-print fabrics in complementary aqua, green and golden tones, and finished with bold mid-century-style furniture.
Meanwhile, visitors entering The Ramsey are greeted by a hallway-turned-gallery, which displays some of Norman Cornish’s paintings. The interior design also pairs the grey and blue colour palette, used heavily in his art, with on-trend slim black metal features.
Tracy Iles, head of sales and marketing at Lovell Homes’ North East region, said: “It was wonderful to be able to welcome John Cornish to our new show homes and to see him reminisce about many of his father’s fantastic pieces which we have incorporated into the new show homes.
“We’re always really passionate about honouring the local history and community within all areas we build in, and our new Cornish Park development is a prime example of that. By naming the development in honour of Norman and his iconic works we hope to shine a light on someone really special who has left an indelible mark on Spennymoor while helping to keep his legacy alive for years to come.”
Cornish Park is the first phase of a wider regeneration project as part of Durham County’s ‘Towns and Villages’ strategy. The Spennymoor Area Action Partnership involves a £21m investment into the area, including finding opportunities to address community housing needs, among other challenges.
Tracy added: “Cornish Park is our very first site in the North East, so opening the doors to our first show homes is very exciting.
“Spennymoor is such a lovely historic town that offers so much to a range of house hunters thanks to its wealth of local amenities and its thriving community. Whether you’re a growing family looking for a new home to set down roots or those looking to downsize, there’s certainly much to love about Spennymoor.”
The new Cornish Park development aims to be completed by February 2025 and will be delivered in one phase as part of the Homes England strategy to provide more affordable housing across the country.
To find out more about Cornish Park, visit https://www.lovell.co.uk/developments/cornish-park-spennymoor/
