SHELLEY Manor, Shelley Park, Bournemouth BH5 1FG – who lives at an address like this? The impressive postal address evokes the luxury interiors and fittings you’ll discover inside these new apartments.

History is an evolution so it’s not often an 1801 building gets the chance to go back to claim its future. But that’s exactly what is happening at Shelley Park in Bournemouth, the home bought by romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley’s son, Sir Percy Florence Shelley, for his mother Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein.

At the heart of the building is the famous Grade 2 listed Shelley Theatre built in 1860 for Percy Shelley, which today is in transformation.

The first phase was to refurbish the main Manor building – including the rediscovery of the fabled Shelley Sanctum. The east side of the building has been transformed into the Shelley Manor Medical Centre including an NHS pharmacy and Private Consulting Wing.

A restaurant is now ready for fitting out and when completed it will be stylishly adorned. Double doors from the restaurant will lead out to a decked seating area for the café.

The latest phase of the development of Shelley Manor is the exclusive apartment building. The property sits in a commanding position in the eight acre Shelley Park which overlooks Poole Bay toward England’s first natural World Heritage Site – the Jurassic Coast.

Jon Dunne, director of Charles Higgins - the investment company which is breathing life back into this property full of history, emotions and politics, said: “We first saw that Shelley Manor was for sale in a feature in the Bournemouth Daily Echo. Work began in 2005 when we won the tender and throughout the process we have received valuable support from the Council, local community, MP Tobias Elwood and The Friends of Shelley Manor.”

Philip Proctor, the architect director of Charles Higgins, has restored and extended Shelley Manor to maintain the Italianate style loved by Mary Shelley and her family. The new building to the west of the theatre, includes two penthouses and eleven apartments that form the main residential element of the Shelley Park folio.

From the moment you step inside the entrance hall you are greeted with natural light flooding through the skylight above. A glass balustrade guides you up the four floors and the combination of modern and contemporary styling blends effortlessly. The attention to every small detail has been considered throughout. The wide central staircase, a lift to all five levels, the wide corridors and meeting areas with seating and lamps, create warm inviting areas where neighbours can meet.

“Too often value is not attributed to anything apart from the apartment itself and what we want to do in contrast is create a much more homely environment, thus as soon as you open the main front door you’re home,” says Jon.

South and west facing balconies and terraces overlook the eight-acre Shelley Park with tennis courts and Mediterranean inspired gardens, beyond which is the cliff top path to the beach.

The apartments offer purchasers bespoke completions of the contemporary open-plan living area and luxury kitchens to the bathrooms/wetrooms. High quality specification will result in low maintenance costs during the life of the building, environmentally friendly air-to-air heat pumps provide the heating and cooling systems, and large Scandinavian windows are a magnificent feature allowing you to discretely observe the goings on around you.

The secure semi-basement garage offers private secure parking for residence with the benefit of electronically controlled entry doors.

Prices: Penthouses £1,400,000, South facing apartments £800,000-£900,000, West facing apartments £400,000-£450,000. For further information visit www. shelleymanor.co.uk or 01202 730010.