The Winsford Centre, housed as it is in a unique Grade II* listed building designed by C.F.A. Voysey, at Halwill Junction in a deeply rural and socially deprived part of Torridge in Devon, is in serious need of restoration at the time of writing in early 2007.

Original plans for The Winsford building © RIBA Library Drawings Collection

Even more urgent than the complete restoration is the replacement of the Day Room (not part of the original design) a structure enclosing the rear veranda area, which is vital to the continuing viability of the Centre. It is used on three days per week at present providing a meeting place and social contact for our Day Centre and Headway clients.

As it is the 150th anniversary of Voysey’s birth in 2007, we also plan to convert one of the original hospital wards into a “Voysey Room”. As the Winsford Cottage Hospital is largely unaltered from the original, this will provide a wonderful opportunity to open up the fireplace, remove all modern additions, re-plaster the walls and decorate in a Voysey style with wallpaper, curtains and furnishings.

This room will then be multi-functional and suitable for meetings, receptions, day courses and also for hire to outside organisations bringing in revenue to the Centre.

There is a team of four headed by Mike Duda, who are preparing a list of potential supporters and are in touch with many important contacts in the Arts & Crafts world as well as Voysey enthusiasts, to seek their help with the project.

Applications are being prepared for the Heritage Lottery Fund, Community Buildings Fund as well as many other funding sources whose criteria we feel that Winsford meets.

The Winsford Restoration Project 2007 has been launched and details of this will be posted on this website.

The project status as of May 2007:
Funding has been secured to cover initial Architects' and Quantity Surveyors' fees necessary for Stage 1 of Community Buildings Application, already submitted.