All you need to know about proposed ‘At Home With Clay’ attraction on Ipswich waterfront as Baylight Properties submits plans

A new attraction shining a light on the ordinary and extraordinary clay objects we use in our homes could be coming to Ipswich waterfront.

Baylight Properties has submitted plans to Ipswich Borough Council, seeking to transform Waterfront House, at Neptune Marina.

The building was home to Ashtons Legal for two decades before its move to Portman Road in 2023.

Last Tuesday, Penn Commercial revealed the premises had been sold to Baylight Properties.

If approved, the new attraction – titled ‘At Home With Clay’ – would take visitors on an ‘interactive journey to discover the clay all around us’, including in bricks and pipes, cooking pots, ornaments and artwork.

Many of the displays would be interactive while offering visitors the chance to work with clay themselves.

A public consultation was held to discuss the future of the building on January 16.

According to planning documents, 98 per cent of respondents thought there should be more attractions on Ipswich waterfront, while 94 per cent felt At Home With Clay was appropriate.

In addition, 81 per cent thought the attraction would appeal to people in the town.

The project is set to be announced by the end of March and discussions with organisations to get their views on the exhibits will take place in the summer.

A pre-launch marketing push has been pencilled in for late 2027 and early 2028, with it expected to open soon after.

A spokesperson for Baylight Properties said the attraction would ‘strengthen Ipswich’s destination brand by providing a unique must-see attraction that complements other investments to build Ipswich’s reputation as a place to visit’.

It was also hoped it would accelerate regeneration of the area by bringing a vacant building back into use and create up to 13 new jobs.

The applicant has set a goal of it attracting 60,000 visits per year.

Under the plans, a workshop and learning area would be located on the first floor, with exhibition suites on the second, third, fourth and fifth floors.

The ground floor would feature a ‘machine oozing reclaimed clay in an ever-growing heap’ in the middle of the atrium.

A ceramics workshop would contain what Baylight described as one of the largest kilns in the UK.

In addition, there would be a ‘free creation space’ offering the chance for visitors to get creative as well as an audiovisual suite.

As part of the plans, the outside of the building would receive a makeover, with red corrugated metal being placed on the outside of the building.

Crispin Kelly, chief executive of Baylight Properties, said: "Waterfront House was originally a fine Victorian warehouse and is a key element of Ipswich's historic quayside.

“Although converted to offices in the 1980s, it has been standing empty since the most recent occupier vacated in 2023.

"We will be looking for the best way to bring it back to life in order to support the ongoing regeneration of the Waterfront and, more generally, Ipswich town centre."

The proposals will go before planners soon.