THE decaying old hospitals, mills and manor houses of the north west have provided massive potential for imaginative developers in recent years.

These neglected buildings have been converted and restored with skill and flair to provide some of the most stunning new homes in the region.

And, as each of the original properties is unique, so too are the new houses and apartments that are created from them as was proved by the huge mix of entries in the Best Conversion category of the M.E.N. Residential Property Awards.

The judges were so impressed they short-listed four schemes for their final consideration.

The winner in this and the other six categories will be announced at a gala dinner at The Midland Hotel, Manchester on Tuesday October 4.

They are:

Kensington Square at the Pavillions, Macclesfield. Jones Homes.

When Jones Homes took on an assortment of derelict hospital buildings in the centre of Macclesfield it was a massive project.

The most difficult challenge was how to make best use of the Grade II listed buildings while still preserving their Victorian heritage and one of the town's great historic treasures.

Extensive ground works and surveying were done ahead of construction starting and as many of the original Victorian design principles either preserved or copied in the build. In total they created 56 apartments, sympathetically turning the vandalised and redundant hospital buildings into new and modern apartments and restoring the clock tower.

Ellerslie, Suffolk Road, Altrincham. Crosby Homes

Originally the home of one of Manchester's wealthiest cotton barons, Ellerslie stands in an acre of grounds in Suffolk Road, Altrincham.

When Crosby Homes took it on it had been long neglected and the roof was condemned but they saw the potential to restore the original house and add a seamless new extension to the rear.

They went to great lengths to get things right and it shows. A specialist bricklayer to match up the imperial bricks of the old house with the metric ones of the new; the original curved glass windows used as moulds for the new double glazed units so they matched perfectly and a painstaking restoration of the original entrance hall.

It took almost three years to complete the project, an indication of the attention to detail.

The original rooms are vast and the same scale is carried through all 11 of the apartments.

They also restored the lodge house, creating a two bedroom house with galleried landing and original bay windows.

The Manor House, Northenden. Morris Homes.

Dickens, Disraeli and Gladstone all visited this house when it was the home of Victorian politician and railway magnate Alfred Watkin but by the time Morris Homes acquired it, it was considered Manchester's most `at risk' historical property.

Vandalised and looted of many of its original treasures, the challenge was to create new homes here while meeting Manchester city council's demands to restore the majority of the building to its Victorian splendour.

It was the biggest conversion project ever undertaken by Morris who worked closely with heritage experts and, wherever possible, used local craftspeople to recreate features like the hand carved oak staircase, the stained glass and copper fireplaces although a replica of an original Italian marble fireplace was made in Japan and took six months to complete.

Much of the restoration budget was spent on restoring the hugely impressive entrance hall, which serves the nine unique apartments.

Lymm Water Tower, Lymm. The Harris Family

Three different architects were involved with this project during the five years of planning and development as the Harris family wrestled with how best to convert this Lymm landmark into a family home and safeguard its future.

Conversion of the tower without any extension at ground level would have resulted in an unworkable, vertical space but Ellis Williams Architects designed a wrap-round extension that provides all living accommodation at ground and first-floor level with the tower used mainly for the bedrooms together with office space.

The result is a wonderful contrast between the contemporary clean lines of the new and the original detailing of the ancient tower.

There has been a big emphasis on making the building as energy-efficient as possible, recycling heat from telephone transmitters on the tower roof and using low impact, natural and local materials where possible.

Work proper took two years to complete with Russell Harris project managing the build which has resulted in a fantastic family home.

For more information about joining us for the awards dinner contact Julie McDonald on 0161 211 2313 Tweet