A Nottinghamshire residential house builder has launched the show bungalow at Mansfield’s iconic Metal Box factory site.

Developer Walker Homes said it had been proud to begin the regeneration of the prominent site.

A total of 82 homes are being built on the former factory site on Rock Valley, Mansfield. The developer, alongside Irwin Project Management, is creating an up-market retirement village, which is centred around, and within, the landmark clock tower.

A show home has been unveiled at the development, named The Valley, with the sales and marketing suite open to visitors every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It will showcase the range of bungalows, maisonettes, and apartments being built at the site as well as plans for the communal rooms.

The clock tower is the centrepiece of the new ‘village’, and the developer said it was keen to retain this beacon as a nod to the site’s heritage as a major employer in the area for more than a century.

Richard Irwin, of Irwin Project Management, said: “As local developer we are aware of the history and attachment residents have for this site. It is a factory site that originally dates to 1839, so over the years has been a major employer of generations of Nottinghamshire people.

“We wanted to celebrate that local heritage, knowing the affection that is held for the site. Who knows, someone who once worked here could end up living in the clock tower!”

The site was originally a mustard mill, and later used by Barringer, Wallis & Manners, which was then taken over by The Metal Box Company. The firm was responsible for creating items such as the iconic Quality Street tins of the past, and brewery-branded trays.

Production at the Metal Box site ended in 2010 and most of the factory was demolished in 2011. However, the clock tower was saved, and this reminder of the site’s historic importance is now destined for a new lease of life.

Louise Hutchinson, New Homes marketing manager at William H Brown, said: “The redevelopment of this site into an upmarket retirement village signals great news for both the local area and home hunters.

“Of the 82 homes being created, 36 will be apartments in and around the clock tower, 12 apartments located at the other side of the development, plus 11 maisonettes, and 23 bungalows.”

The bungalows are due for completion by the end of December 2024 and work on the maisonettes and tower apartments starts later this year.

Louise added: “With a nod to the site’s heritage, apartments have been named Mustard Mill apartments and Clock Tower apartments.”

Prices for one- and two-bedroom apartments at The Valley start from £169,000, with bungalows priced from £305,000.

For more details on The Valley, Mansfield, contact William H Brown on 07594 509472 or email [email protected].