Sometimes you don’t appreciate what’s on your doorstep.

We are awash with history in this country. There are countless buildings and trees which pre-date the discovery of North America, for instance, all with their own tale to tell.

The Winton House Centre in Petersfield is a case in point.

While the building is one of the finest in the town centre, only the blue plaque on its glorious facade hints at its rich history.

The High Street property formed part of the White Hart coaching inn which welcomed the likes of Charles II, Samuel Pepys and Peter the Great.

So when it came to giving the Grade II listed building a sensitive facelift for the 21st century, the weight of history was felt on its current guardians.

“As trustees we have the dual responsibility of looking after this grand building,” said Robert Venables, president of the Winton House Centre.

“It’s a hub for the community, as we have a lot of activities taking place here, and a lot of them are very important, like the dementia group.

“But also as trustees, we have a responsibility to maintain the building and keep it in a good state and that can be quite problematic.”

Cups of tea were raised at 9am last Thursday morning as town mayor, Cllr Chris Paige, cut the ribbon to celebrate the completion of a lengthy restoration and refurbishment project.

A healthy six-figure sum has gone into the revamp, with the building’s fine exterior looking considerably cleaner, sharper and less despoiled by clutter and cables.

But if you go inside, and turn right into the centre’s marvellous cafe, you’ll see the project involved a lot more than giving the exterior a good clean.

Sash window sections have been spruced up and rebalanced, brickwork has been patched up and re-mortared and dozens of tiles have either been repaired or replaced.

New lighting has been installed and ugly cabling has been removed in a “decluttering” project with architect, Nadim Khattar, and the team giving the building the love and attention its history and stature deserves.

“We cleaned up the building so we took off a lot of brackets, screws, nails off to just tidy it up and bring it back to what it would have looked like,” said Mr Khattar.

“One of the things you’ll see at night is the lighting has changed completely and this (the entrance) is now backlit, rather than front-lit, and that helps the facade to keep its place in the street at night.

“As we did the work, things came off and the roof had a problem. The render over the solicitor’s building had a problem, but everything was done in time and mostly within budget, which is amazing.

“We spent a bit of money tidying up the hallway and other bits which you won’t be able to see today but we had to do because of ageing.

“What you get back is hopefully a lease of life for 15 or 20 years and it’ll need it all again.”

He added: “It’s been challenging and there’s a lot that’s been done that you can’t see.

“There’s one of the best lime laboratories in the country in Winchester so they were consulted. And as we put up the scaffolding and came close to the building we could truly see what needed doing.

“A lot of love and care has gone into this building and I really think it shows, both inside and out.”

The Winton House Centre is a huge part of the Petersfield community as its home to multiple groups and two of the town’s most treasured charities, HomeStart Butser and Age Concern Petersfield.

The latter featured in our pages last week because of the “Life Stories” event they ran, while the cafe hosts everything from get-togethers and classes to police surgeries. And their tea and cake is spot on.

But it’s an old building, and they have a habit of throwing up problems, especially when it comes to maintenance and housekeeping. It was shrouded in scaffolding just over a decade ago, for instance, with Dr Richard Phillips, chair of the Winton House Centre, recalling that episode.

He said: “I’ve been involved in Winton House since about 2009 when it required huge amounts of work to be done.

“The nine flats above were bending Jacobean beams and a very old building visited by Charles the second, Samuel Pepys and Peter the Great when it was a coaching inn.

“But I have been involved in it, adapting it, and making it to what it is now, and I take great pride in what has been achieved.

“It’s been the work of a huge group of people, who have worked very dedicatedly to make it happen.

“I am delighted it is now finished, for now. It will need doing again at some stage but right now, it’s done, and that is tremendous.”

Mr Venables added: “It’s a Grade II listed building and so we have to get consent for everything we do.

“We were very grateful for Nadim’s help and I have to say, what’s been done looks absolutely fabulous.

“The building has been given a terrific facelift and it’s something we can rightly be proud of.

“Every councillor has been so generous and supportive,” said Mr Venables when asked about funding.

“We just about got the funding we needed but we were really on the edge in terms of keeping this sustainable.

“Historically it’s a really important building for the parish.

“It’s become a real community hub and we have dozens of organisations using it.

“We had some legacy fund and income from the flats upstairs but we’ve also got an ongoing fund to help.”

The Winton House Centre is also one of the mayor’s charities, so it was fitting that Cllr Paige had the honour of cutting the ribbon last week.

He said “well done to everyone” before wielding the scissors on a memorable morning in the town centre.

Cllr Paige said: “This is one of my charities, it just reinforces the sense of what the Winton House Centre provides for so many people in Petersfield and surrounding areas.

“I’ve got to thank everyone involved because what they’ve done, on limited budget and as a charity, and make it fit for purpose, is amazing.

“This building has got a huge historical significance here in Petersfield.

“The work that was required was very much needed.

“It looks absolutely fantastic so I’ll reflect what’s been said and say a ‘well done’ and ‘thank you’ to everyone involved - especially to those who gave up their time and effort to get this building fit for purpose for years to come.

“How many years? I’ll leave that to the experts.”

There will be a time, maybe in a decade, maybe longer, when scaffolding is put up around Winton House again and another programme of repairs and restoration begins.

So for now, appreciate this building as it is. Its clean lines and immaculate render, the stunning lighting inviting people in, and the warm welcome you’ll get inside.

But most of all, remember how lucky we are to have places like it.

With thanks to Shine Radio for their assistance in writing this feature.