That’s how a Conservation Advisory Group member described a building at Broomhill, and when you look at it – yes, he’s right!
We’re referring to Ashgate House which although horrible and derelict at the moment looks set to be converted into a rather smart lighting showroom for David Village Lighting who are re-locating from their premises on West Street.
Permission was granted a while ago for its demolition and replacement by a four-storey block of flats, but it looks like someone has seen its potential as a commercial building again. The skips are now in place and the new look will be aluminium and render, so quite a big improvement. For many years it was a garage and was altered in 1989 when various bits were added on. If you can’t place where it is, it’s on Ashgate Road near the top of Glossop Road in the main Broomhill shopping centre. This is a good scheme which will remove an eyesore currently facing St Mark’s Church Hall. The Hall has been very successfully converted to flats and is a good example of what can be done with redundant church properties.
When listing was granted in 1977 the interiors were not even inspected; something which would not happen today in these pedantic times. However, had access been gained we fear that they would have found that many internal features had been lost as most of the houses had been converted to multiple occupation.
Had the terrace been in Chelsea it would probably have been converted back to family residences and be in the multi-million pound bracket by now! It could still happen one day as many of the large and grotty ex-student houses over at Nether Edge have now been beautifully restored and passed the half a million-pound mark. Famous cutler George Wostenholm who planned and built the Kenwood Estate must be up there somewhere looking down in wonderment.