The Willow Tree

Before Demolition

The Willow Tree Bar

The Willow Tree Patio

The Willow Tree Oast House Feature

The new Wetherspoon’s ‘Willow Tree’ on Ipswich Street, Stowmarket, opened its doors on 17 January 2012 marking the completion of a very challenging development for the Firm.

The original programme of 26 weeks was carefully programmed to achieve completion in just 17 weeks.

The project saw the demolition of a derelict building followed by traditional construction of the new building and a full fit out.

In week four of construction all substructure brick and blockwork was constructed, including 2.7 metre walls to the bottom end of the site. Approximately 6,500 blocks and 8,000 bricks were laid in this one week alone.

Kevin Church, project manager, attributed the success to the honest and open relationship with the architect and structural engineers, as well as the hard work of the bricklayers and labourers on site.

It was an incredibly restricted site; neighbours on either side meant access was difficult and there was also a six metre retaining wall to the rear as well as a party wall to take into consideration.

Rob Carter said: ‘This shows what can be achieved when the design is proactively managed, client direct contractors are positively coordinated, and an enthusiastic site team take on board a challenge.’

The Willow Tree specialises in real ales and features one bar with a street-side café area to the front of the premises, and a large terrace garden to the rear.

Each Cheque Presentation

Grand Tour Cycle Challenge

Grand Tour Cycle Challenge

Grand Tour Cycle Challenge

Grand Tour Cycle Challenge

Grand Tour Cycle Challenge

Grand Tour Cycle Challenge

The Firm spent much of the summer on bikes and raised a fantastic £39,500 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.

Our intrepid cyclists spent ten weekends battling head winds and driving rain, and the occasional sunny day, to travel around the region, passing a baton from office to office in the Carter Grand Tour Cycle Relay.

Each leg ranged in distance up to 54 miles encompassing Norwich, Fakenham, King’s Lynn, Peterborough, Cambridge, Thetford, Bury St Edmunds, Colchester, Ipswich and Harleston, with the final leg seeing 85 riders travel back to Drayton.

A giant cheque was presented to Mark Loades from EACH by Tom Atkins and James Carter, who travelled a total of 700 miles between them.

Campbells Soup Tower Demolition from R G Carter.

Sunday 15 January saw a dramatic change in the skyline over King’s Lynn.

Thousands gathered to watch as the famous Campbell’s soup tower was razed to the ground.

The tower had been an iconic part of the landscape since it was built, by R G Carter, in 1959.  At its peak the 63 acre factory employed more than 700 workers and supplied Campbell’s soup to the whole of Europe.

Sunday’s explosion was set off by Sarah Griffiths whose father, Mike Locke, was tragically killed at the factory in 1995.

R G Carter will be redeveloping the area to create a Tesco store, hotel, restaurant, public house and car showroom.

Wiggenhall St German’s Primary School received a surprise visit from Ivor Goodsite during works to extend the school.

Ivor, the mascot of the Considerate Constructor’s Scheme, set the children a challenge to design a safety poster before taking them around the site.

The project to extend and refurbish the small village primary saw R G Carter Drayton achieve a Considerate Constructor’s score of 38.5 out of 40 and be commended as a ‘textbook’ example by the assessor.

R G Carter became an Associate Member of the Considerate Constructor’s Scheme earlier in the year, recognising our efforts be a considerate and good neighbours.

A groundbreaking ceremony marked the beginning of work on a new technology block at the College of West Anglia in King’s Lynn.

R G Carter Building will provide state-of-the-art workshop facilities for students of engineering, welding, carpentry and electrical installation.

The ceremony was attended by college principal David Pomfret, chair of governors Peter Dixon, Mayor Colin Sampson and members of the construction team.

The project is due to finish next summer and marks the latest in several projects carried out by R G Carter Building at the site.

Waitrose Sevenoaks Original Store

Waitrose Sevenoaks Work in Progress

Waitrose Sevenoaks High Street Store

Waitrose Sevenoaks Lobby

Waitrose Sevenoaks Fishmonger Counter

Waitrose Sevenoaks Car Park Entrance

Waitrose Sevenoaks Basement & Undercroft Parking

R G Carter has completed their largest on-site replacement to date.

Waitrose has been a familiar feature of Sevenoaks High Street for nearly 30 years; our team has been working in the town since last summer to demolish the old building and construct a brand new branch, making the most of the limited space.

There were many challenges with this project, not least being the layout of the site. The High Street building stands between two adjacent buildings and the back of the site is bounded on all sides by neighbours with shared access to the properties from the rear.

Tony Jacob, head of construction, environment and engineering at Waitrose, said: ‘I was really impressed with how well this project has gone; a very complex town centre re-build delivered in great style – well done to all involved.’

The new branch is now open featuring a split level with a café on the first floor, convenience foods on the ground floor, and a subterranean car park.

The £10m project was completed in just 15 months.

Hillington Hospice Sod Cutting Ceremony

Rob Carter at Hillington Hospice

A Viking carved dragon head, Saxon brooch and Roman coins have all been unearthed as work begins to construct the new Norfolk Hospice, Tapping House, at Hillington, near King’s Lynn.

R G Carter Building in King’s Lynn started work in August to build the new 12-bed facility for the charity and archaeologists were called in to oversee the groundworks.

A number of fascinating artefacts were uncovered and taken to the Norfolk Archaeological Unit for investigation and recording.

It is thought the field may once have been at the heart of a larger village settlement that has shrunk over time.

The charity will move from its current home in Snettisham to the new hospice once it is complete. It will work closely with the palliative care unit at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in King’s Lynn.

Lady Jane Dawnay, who is president of the charity’s fundraising appeal, cut the first turf of the new development at a ceremony attended by patients, patrons, trustees, along with the Mayor of West Norfolk and Rob Carter.

Mr Shaw, chief execute of The Norfolk Hospice, said: ‘The people of Norfolk and the Fens urgently need and truly deserve the very highest standard of hospice care for everyone who requires it.’

The Norfolk County Cricket Team

C Brown - Man of the Match

R G Carter is delighted to announce it’s sponsorship of the Norfolk County Cricket team for the next three years.

Norfolk chairman Graham Littlewood, said: ‘We are delighted with this in more ways than one.

‘The Carter family have been loyal supporters of Norfolk cricket over many years mainly through their continued involvement with the Carter Cup. The sponsorship will really make a difference by providing a solid base upon which to move forward both on and off the field.

The award was for the construction of 3 St James Court in Norwich, a new three-storey office building built on the site of the former NJP printworks in Barrack Street.

Ramboll UK, the designer on the project, nominated R G Carter for the way they worked together to overcome challenges faced early in the project to ensure the construction phase went ahead smoothly.

Judges also commented on how good the building looks on the site.