Historic cottages will be made available for rent

The Hall in Bradford-on-Avon dates back to the early 17th Century

A pair of historic cottages on the site of a grand country estate will be renovated and made available as rental homes thanks to a new loan.

Work on the stone cottages at the entrance to The Hall in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, is being funded by a £150,000 loan from the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), which has supported the charitable trust which runs the estate since 2017.

The estate was last occupied by engineer Dr Alex Moulton, who invented the suspension systems used in the Mini and the Moulton bicycle.

Christine Olivieri, CEO of the Moulton Trust, said the organisation was "delighted" to have received the loan which had been "instrumental" in restoring the cottages.

The cottages are set to be extensively refurbished

"Providing much-needed residential accommodation within the Bradford-on-Avon community has been a key priority for the Trust," Ms Olivieri added.

Following Dr Moulton's death in 2012, The Hall was donated to a charitable trust set up in his own name, with the missions of preserving the building and its collections as well as promoting the estate for public visits and weddings.

Built in the early 17th Century by clothier John Hall, the Grade I listed main house has been home to leading figures in Britain's wool, rubber and automotive industries.

The two cottages will be put on the rental market after the renovations

The AHF's Heritage Impact Fund loan will help refurbish the two cottages - thought to date back to the mid-19th Century and used to house estate workers - to go be used as rental properties.

The rent will be used to help the Moulton Trust preserve The Hall and other buildings.

Andrew Hitches-Davies, investment manager at AHF, said the loan would "help secure the future" of the estate.

"Once the work has finished, these cottages will bring in a steady income to fund the trust's charitable work and community programmes while continuing its mission to protect and preserve the historic hall," he added.