17 – 19 Willow Walk, the Grade II listed building which housed people affected by homelessness in central Cambridge for 150 years, is now available to purchase for offers in excess of £2.25 million.
The 7,000 square foot building, which closed as a supported housing scheme on 30th June 2022, has come to the market with Cambridge-based agents, Cheffins. 17-19 Willow Walk, which is situated close to the Grafton Centre, is owned by The Riverside Group, one of the leading providers of social housing in the UK. The Riverside Group has taken the decision to sell the building following a trend away from larger properties within the local authority.
17-19 Willow Walk was built in 1817 as part of the 1800s scheme designed by architect Charles Humfrey, which encompasses Maids Causeway, Fair Street and Short Street. The attractive building consists of three parts, with 20 bedrooms, six of which are ensuite, along with communal facilities including a reception, lounge areas, kitchens and WCs. These facilities are split over three buildings, and the hostel formerly had use of four parking spaces on Willow Walk.
Luke Davenport, Associate at Cheffins, who is handling the sale comments: “17-19 Willow Walk has a fascinating history and has provided a secure environment for people affected by homelessness in Cambridge for many years. We will be working closely with The Riverside Group to find the most appropriate buyer for the building, which will add to the local economy and help with the regeneration of the Grafton Centre area of Cambridge. Opportunities in Cambridge are consistently sought after by investors, mainly due to the lack of stock in prime city centre locations, and so understandably we have already seen interest from both local companies and those from further afield. This historic property has huge amounts of potential and is viable for a range of uses, we will look forward to seeing what the next chapter of its life will entail.”
17-19 Willow Walk first became a hostel in the 1870s, as a Church Army ‘lodging house.’ In 1987, a specialist homeless service was built on Victoria Road, which led to the closure of Willow Walk, however the building was then refurbished in 1990, with dormitories replaced by individual rooms. It was initially run by the Church Housing Association which later became part of The Riverside Group. It was closed permanently in 2022 as part of Cambridgeshire County Council’s ‘Streets to Home’ initiative.
Willow Walk is situated in the Kite area of Cambridge, between Emmanuel Road, Parkside, East Road and Newmarket Road. Along with Maids Causeway, Willow Walk is one of Cambridge’s most desirable streets, and is within seconds of The Grafton Centre and Fitzroy Street, which is home to Little Waitrose, Aromi, Superdrug and Signorelli’s Deli.
Simon Allcock from The Riverside Group comments: “Over the decades many people who have fallen on tough times have found support and accommodation at 17-19 Willow Walk, turning things around and moving on to live more independent and fulfilling lives. In some areas the trend has been for commissioning of services to move away from larger city centre properties such as Willow Walk, and focus on smaller self-contained accommodation. That is why Riverside is putting Willow Walk on the market, so we can commit to providing more accommodation which meets these changing needs.”
For more information on the property, contact Luke Davenport at Cheffins on luke.davenport@cheffins.co.uk or 01223 271974.
For further media information, please contact Sophie Richardson, PR Manager at Cheffins, Sophie.richardson@cheffins.co.uk, www.cheffins.co.uk