Over twelve years, Proudfoot has been passionately involved with the restoration and re-use of The Ropewalk building, Barton Upon Humber.
The circa 1,200 ft. long Grade II Listed Ropewalk has turned from an unemployed, disused, dilapidated factory building into full use, which includes:-
2 art galleries
Arts and craft shop
Café Bistro
12 artists workshops
18 buiness units for Creative Industries
3,000 sq. ft. unit for Creative Industries
Meeting rooms
Heritage Museum
An art sculpture garden
A very busy Ropery Hall, which is a cinema, theatre staging live music, concerts, comedy acts etc. which is very well supported by the local community and often plays to audiences of 150 plus.
Adjacent to The Ropewalk, the Proudfoot Group developed a Promenade, which runs the full length of the building and is 60 ft. wide. The Promenade is paved, lawned and planted with an avenue of hybrid Alder trees, a Hawthorn hedge and fruit bushes, which were planted by Directors of The Proudfoot Group and helpers from local organisations, such as The Civic Society etc. On completion of the project, the Proudfoot Group handed over a permanent right of way to the Local Authority for the public to enjoy this unusual walk along the side of the famous Hallmark Rope Factory to the Humber Bridge.
At the end of The Ropewalk, the Promenade joins a footbridge, which was built on land donated by The Proudfoot Group. From the footbridge, the public can view a small working shipyard, which occupies the mouth of this tidal drain, known as the Barton Haven, which flows into the Humber. The Footbridge also joins the South Humber Bank Walk.
Phase I of the Ropewalk was commenced in 1996 and Phase II, which occupies in excess of 900 linear foot, was commenced in 2003.
Phase I and Phase II of The Ropewalk have been visited by the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Arthur Owen and U.K Cabinet Ministers, John Prescott and Alan Johnson and was opened by Trevor Baylis OBE, who invented the wind-up radio.
The Proudfoot Group provided the land the Ropewalk building, together with cash, management support and unerring determination in order to restore and re-use the building for the arts and creative industries.
The building now employs circa 50 people and this year is destined to receive over 45,000 visitors.
The restoration of The Ropewalk has been a major success in North Lincolnshire and has received local, regional and national awards.
Proudfoot’s fascination for the restoration of The Ropewalk began on the first occasion they stepped onto the site in the early 90’s and they have worked closely with The Waterside Artists Co-operative and North Lincolnshire Council, whose input has been imperative. This has been a model tripartite effort between private enterprise, local people and the Local Authority. Although the company sold their adjacent Barton supermarket to Tesco in April 2008, their involvement goes on, as The Ropewalk was separated from the sale to Tesco and therefore still has strong ties with Mark and Ian Proudfoot and The Proudfoot Group.
The Ropewalk building and Promenade are greatly appreciated by the local community and are used extensively. This project has regenerated a dilapidated, disused industrial site into a popular integral part of the community.
