Hospitality
A Midlands Construction Company
Tyto Contracting Limited has worked on construction projects in the Midlands hospitality sector for many years, including on wedding venues, racecourses and much more. As a Midlands construction company, we take great pride in working on such brilliant local projects
Ashton Lodge Country House
Refurbishment of an Edwardian country house wedding venue.
| Project value | £350,000 |
| Client | Tetra Real Estate |
| Architect | Nicol Thomas |
| Programme | 24 weeks |
| Form of procurement | Negotiated |
| Form of contract | JCT Design & Build 2016 |
Ashton Lodge Country House is an Edwardian country house set in the Warwickshire village of Stretton-under-Fosse and has been part of Tetra Real Estate’s portfolio since 2018. As a Midlands construction company, the opportunity for us to work on such a historic building was particularly exciting.
The site retains many of its period features and is currently operated by The Venue Group, which specialises in managing and operating rural wedding venues across the UK.
Tetra invested in a refresh of the historic property and its grounds in 2021, to help kick-start its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Over a period of six months, around £350,000 was spent on the property to provide a number of external repairs and improvements.
This included a new oak-framed glass entrance, a new barbecue and undercover cooking area, an extension of the existing kitchen facilities, and a new oak-framed gazebo to cater for outside wedding ceremonies.
Other external improvements included roof repairs, and replacement windows to achieve a more consistent approach throughout the building, alongside both internal and external redecoration.
Work from a Midlands construction company helped to improve Ashton Lodge’s offering by elevating the facilities and improving, in particular, the outdoor experience, alongside a new refreshed look.
Warwick Racecourse
Refurbishment of the racecourse’s corporate hospitality venue and construction of a new main entrance.
| Project value | £350,000 |
| Client | The Jockey Club |
| Architect | Roberts Limbrick |
| Programme | 24 weeks |
| Form of procurement | Competitive tender |
| Form of contract | JCT design and build |
Once again, as a Midlands construction company, it was a great honour to work on the historic Warwick Racecourse. Located in the heart of the town, it is among the oldest horse racing locations in the UK.
Tyto Contracting Limited was appointed to freshen up the facilities with a two-phase project consisting of a corporate hospitality venue and a new main entrance – both of which were agreed to tight deadlines and posed further challenges due to construction taking place during the race season.
The first phase of work commenced in March 2017 at the end of the spring season and work had to be finished in September 2017 ahead of the first race of the Racing UK Grand Season Opener.
This consisted of a fit-out of a 400 sq ft unit located on the ground floor of the course. It was previously a storage facility but sat vacant and was an under-utilised space, but with Tyto as their chosen Midlands construction company, we turned the site into an exclusive-access venue, with a bar area and seating, capable of holding 36 guests.
The second phase saw Tyto commence work on the demolition and rebuild of the main entrance to the racecourse. Although the existing entrance was one of two, it was not being used due to its dilapidated state, rendering it an idle space.
We secured planning permission for the demolition and rebuild of a timber-clad entrance wall and canopy with four ticket offices and two turnstile gates. This was coupled with a newly landscaped patio with a fenced-off seating area that could be used all year round.
Both phases were completed on a budget of £350,000 on stringent deadlines as agreed by the client, with work carried out safely around busy foot traffic during race season.
Newmarket July Course
Refurbishment of the iconic July Course’s weighing room complex, including a new terrace and champagne bar.
| Project value | £2.6 milllion |
| Client | The Jockey Club |
| Architect | Roberts Limbrick |
| Engineer | Furness Partnership |
| Project manager & building services consultant | DSA Consultants Ltd |
| Cost consultant | PMP Consultants Ltd |
| Programme | 40 weeks |
| Form of procurement | Competitive tender |
| Form of contract | JCT design and build |
The Jockey Club – the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the UK – required upgrades at the Newmarket July Course as part of an ongoing industry-wide project to modernise facilities.
Tyto Contracting Limited was appointed following a competitive tendering process and began work in September 2022, with tight timescales to ensure it finished ahead of the new racing season at the iconic venue in July, as is often the case with commercial construction Midlands projects.
The two-phase project was centred on creating first-class facilities for jockeys in The Weighing Room and enhancing the spectator offering in The Head-On Stand with a stunning new champagne bar and viewing terrace.
In The Weighing Room, the building was stripped to its bare bones to enable a complete reconfiguration of the weighing and changing room areas in line with new minimum standards, delivering greater consistency for all jockeys.
Trial investigations enabled the construction team to spot design changes early, including increasing ceiling heights and re-routing the drainage system for the new shower rooms and toilets.
However, this, coupled with the uncovering and safe removal of asbestos, led to unforeseen delays. This time was recovered to ensure the first phase was finished on schedule, resulting in the creation of an impressive facility that included private showers, toilets, male/female/flexi changing rooms, physio rooms, a safeguarding area, and a new weighing room. With commercial construction Midlands projects, we are aware that unforeseen circumstances might arise, but our team always endeavours to complete work in a timely manner.
Phase two included revamping the existing Head-On Stand to help improve the overall visitor experience and incorporating a new two-storey champagne Bar to replace the existing one-storey facility, which was beginning to age. This is capable of accommodating 327 people, split between 132 on the ground floor and 195 on the terrace.
Works included installing a new roof, erecting the new steel-framed champagne bar, and upgrading the exterior with cedar cladding so it blended into the new look of the complex.
The final project, which also delivered sustainability improvements through the installation of solar panels and low-energy lighting, was completed in June, ahead of the new racing season in July. We were thrilled following the completion of this commercial construction Midlands project as it enhanced the experiences of both spectators and jockeys alike.
We also completed work on Warwick Racecourse, which can be seen here.