THE COUNTDOWN is on for eight apartments to be finished as developers have their fingers crossed for an early completion date.

The Hexham Courant had the pleasure of visiting the Hadrian House on Market Street in Hexham to get an exclusive look inside what awaits future residents.

Tommy Cowing, Director of Astontex Ltd, the developer, is 'ecstatic' to be close to the finishing line and to be able to provide affordable flats in the centre of Hexham.

He said: "When I first saw the site, I knew it was perfect. I wanted to get involved immediately.

"There is so much history in the building, which we have tried to incorporate as much as possible such as adding second windows inside the original ones and keeping the high ceilings.

"It is a great place for anyone looking for a flat dead centre of the town for shopping.

"It also has the best views."

If the developers reach their goal of finishing in eight weeks, it could also be the first current building site in Hexham to be completed.

This comes after the news of Hexham's former Swimming Pool, now named The Wool House, confirming that it would not be finished until next year and Montague Court developers 'Lok Developments' is in receivership, according to Companies House.

This is a huge milestone as the former swimming pool and Hadrian's House had planning applications around the same time of each other.

The property was originally a town house before it became a Wesleyan chapel, and then Hexham’s post office, before it became offices for the Department of the Environment in the 1970s.

Agents handling the sales of the apartments are Pattinsons at 15, Priestpopple.