Location

Devon

Products Used

Barrow Hill Primary Academy Chesterfield

Riverstone

Side view of the red manor house and a glass-enclosed conservatory addition.

Salston Manor Hotel in Otter Valley

Set in the heart of Devon’s picturesque Otter Valley, and just six miles from the scenic Jurassic Coast, the Salston Manor Hotel has undergone a remarkable transformation.

Once a dilapidated Grade II listed hotel, the 19th-century building has now been meticulously restored and reimagined into 11 luxury apartments, thanks to a highly skilled team led by PCR Homes and Salter Roofing Ltd with SSQ’s Riverstone Ultra Phyllite playing a central role in the project’s success.

Originally an 18th-century farmhouse, Salston Manor was redesigned in 1845 in the Elizabethan style by William Hart Coleridge, nephew of the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The building’s storied past also includes being the birthplace of the world-famous Donkey Sanctuary. After lying dormant since 2007, the manor has now been revived to its former grandeur, with Riverstone Ultra chosen to provide the perfect natural slate solution for such a historically significant structure.

SSQ’s Riverstone Ultra 500 x 250mm slates were selected to meet strict planning and conservation criteria for a natural slate that replicated the original indigenous Welsh and Delabole slate used on the main roof of the building. Thanks to an extremely rare phyllite geology like Welsh and Cornish slate, Riverstone offered the visual authenticity and outstanding performance required by East Devon’s planning authorities. Its subtle grey tone and distinctive satin sheen made it the natural successor to the original indigenous slate used on the main roof.

Front facade of a historic manor house painted terracotta red with white bay windows and multiple tall chimneys.

Salston Manor Hotel

Before slating began, structural surveys revealed significant timber decay. All roof timbers were replaced in full accordance with BS 5534:14 and BS 8000:13 standards.

SSQ provided detailed planning support throughout, with Simon Johnson working closely with the architects at KWA and the client to secure listed building consent. This proved vital in avoiding delays and maintaining the integrity of the restoration.

The project has now been completed to a superb standard and with a 99-year lease on each apartment and SSQ’s Riverstone 75-year guarantee, future residents have total peace of mind that the slate used will last a lifetime.