A NATIONAL Trust visitor centre has opened its doors following a 15-month construction project by a York restoration firm.

William Anelay Ltd, a company that picked up 22 national and regional construction awards in 2013 and was founded in 1747, arrived on site at Dunham Massey Hall in Cheshire October 2012.

The programme of works involved the construction of six steel and timber-framed interlinked buildings incorporating locally sourced bricks and clad in European and British oak.

The project incorporates two key headline environmentally friendly elements in the form of a Lake Source heat pump which will provide underfloor heating and greywater which involves the use of harvested rainwater for toilet facilities.

William Anelay chairman, Charles Anelay, an eighth generation Anelay to be involved in the business, said: “We have worked at a number of National Trust properties over the years and this new-build project will be a highlight by mixing the aesthetic with the practical in a very engaging way.”

The new buildproject is already being hailed by the National Trust as an excellent visitor centre that will dramatically enhance and improve the experience for over 600,000 people who visit Dunham Massey every year.

Anelay’s contracts manager Will Prew, who a year ago was helping to build a new look Coronation Street set, said: “It’s a great project in every way especially with the environmentally-friendly dimensions and it will almost certainly become a beacon for future visitor centres.”

William Anelay Ltd is one of the oldest construction companies in the world. Based in York and Manchester, the company employs almost 100 staff and has a turnover of £26 million.