For Nick Fell, complete honesty is one of the most important aspects of any project he embarks on and why his business, The Fell Partnership Ltd, has become one of the leaders in restoration and preservation of rural building across Dartmoor. It is why he is the February winner of the HBXL Excellence awards.

Operating out of Tavistock, Nick and his team’s reputation is such that the business is one of a few that carries out work in environmentally sensitive areas. This reputation is now so good, recommendations are coming from DEFRA, National Parks and the MOD. Originally working as a farm contractor and agricultural engineer, Nick started the business with his wife Doreen back in 1991 when a friend needed help re-pointing their house. Having completed the work, Nick was then asked to do a similar job on another house and that was when The Fell Partnership came into being. The launch of the business also coincided with an influx of people moving to the area who were buying a lot of older properties that needed restoring.

Nick said: “A lot of the work we do means using local materials so that the building in question is restored to fit back in with its immediate environment.   This includes using granite, lime mortar, lime rendering and oak pegs, random Delabole slating which, although is quite challenging, is extremely rewarding.  And because a lot of the work we do is located in environmentally sensitive areas, it’s imperative we work closely with the client and authorities to make sure that what we’re doing is in keeping with the surroundings and up to their expectations, which is a huge balancing act”.

The News articles on the right were published in "Professional Builder", "Tavistock Times" and also "The Evening Herald"

“I always prefer to have the client on site so that any decisions are made together. Doing this then makes for a good, trustworthy relationship and one that helps build the reputation of the business.” And Nick’s reputation is one that’s well known with local suppliers. Paul Palfrey, branch manager at a local builders’ merchant added. “Nick is a real gentlemen, is very down to earth and has a very warm character. He installs an air of confidence as soon as you meet him and is very reassuring for his customers.”

Its not just the restoration of old buildings that has built The Fell Partnership‘s reputation but the use of much more modern material in the form of Beco Wallform. Nick said: “I’m always on the look out for new and better products, which led me to discover Beco Wallform. This has provided a great success and we have used it on extensions and some new build projects and has allowed us to develop some quite unusual shapes.” Regarded as a bit of a pioneer in the use of this new material Nick now advises other builders on the use and application of this different type of building procedure. Nick added: “ No matter what job we’re working on or what material we ‘re using, I’ll always consult very closely with the client to make sure that they are happy with what we’re doing.”

“The business would not be so successful without my dedicated staff of eight men and the support from my suppliers. In the coming year my daughter will be starting in the business as a general assistant enabling us to recruit more staff and for me to develop a wider understanding of the green energy issues.”