New look entrance hall for the Heritage Apartments

Recently the gracious entrance hall to the Heritage Apartments received a grand "makeover".

As can be seen from the accompanying photograph, modern, comfortable lounges and chairs are available for visitors and a selection of new eye-catching murals hang on the walls.

The apartments, situated on Cross Road Myrtle Bank, were built in 1915 at a cost of £19,000 as a convent for the little sisters of the poor, a body of charitable women whose work of humanity is known and appreciated throughout the world.

When opened, it was able to accommodate up to 100 elderly people. In the 1980's the sisters concluded that they could no longer continue to run the home and as a result Southern Cross Care acquired the property and converted the building into self-contained apartments which were opened in 1987.

It is interesting to note that the apartments were advertised as: "If this was New York, these apartments would certainly be on Park Avenue. A style of living usually associated with the grand avenues of New York and the boulevards of Europe."

There are 35 apartments, being part of the overall Lourdes Valley Precinct, made up of The Waterford Retirement Apartments, The Coach House Mews, stand-alone two and three bedroom homes and The Lodge, a residential care facility.

Words by John Doherty | Photo by Daryl Chambers