P h o t o B l o g

Saturday 26 January 2008

Lyndhurst


Lyndhurst is a large Victorian house on Broadoak Road, Ashton, between the Old Ball and the Broadoak Hotel.

Built in 1883, this once imposing mansion is now sadly becoming derelict.

27 comments:

  1. Hi Martin! I'll bet it was a lovely place when the original owners lived there! What a tremendous shame it's being let go to ruin. I wonder why even some institution doesn't buy and use it if only just to preserve this grand old house.
    The same thing is happening here in London. This week they bulldozed and tore down one of our most historic homes - they had let it go too and the homeless had taken up residence then it caught fire and was so damaged they said noting could be done to save it. But if someone or some organization had restored it prior to that, it would still be here as part of London's history. As it is a high-rise is about to be built that will make money for some developer who could care less about historical buildings and the city will get more taxes!

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  2. Oh doesn't it just break your heart to see such magnificent buildings just go to complete ruin?

    I wonder what the story is here. I wonder why the owners have allowed this to happen?

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  3. Its so sad to see such a beautiful old house falling to ruin... someone should restore it to its former glory... Surely you must have a building trust there... here we have the heritage listing for old buildings and certainly a house like that would be on it.

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  4. There are more than 80 "listed" buildings in Ashton, but this isn't one of them. Perhaps we have more heritage than we want?

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  5. Perhaps you are right Martin, pro-rata you would have more 'listed buildings' than we do. I can remember a few of the big old houses on Broadoak Road, it really is a shame though to have it left in such disrepair. There certainly must be a good reason. Joyce, you are so right what could have been done with it. It could have been put to some good use. Just like we did here. I hope someone who owns or has something to do with the building sees these photographs and decides to give it to someone or organisation that can love it.

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  6. Hi
    I was told that it was a probate issue where a will was contested about who should inherit. I have no proof that this is true- could just be gossip. I agree it's a shame that it's going to rack and ruin.

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    1. I actually know the new owners the house was bought many years ago by i think rothwells estate agents, they wanted to turn it into flats but it was written into legal documents that it had to remain a family home, the current owners hav restored it beautifully keeping lots of original featureseg a leaded round coloured window restored to its former glory, many millions hav been spent on it, should you want to look at it the owners would be willing to show you around

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  7. The owners may be hoping to build on the plot like they have in other parts of Ashton.
    In some southern towns up to half the new dwellings are on garden sites(Garden Grabbing) where they build in the garden or knock the house down and build three or four dwellings on the same site.

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  8. You're right, Chips! Stratford has just announced a moratorium on building in gardens (where one home owner sells off his plot- the house is demolished to provide access to rear gardens and houses are built there at a higher density) We are always getting letters from speculative builders asking if we're interested in selling off our rear garden. Only they don't know that we actually only own the first 100 feet, the rest is owned by next door!

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  9. I know a lot of properties are just too large these days to be used as one-family homes but it could have been converted surely. When I lived on the Essex/Suffolk border a lot of these types of houses were used as offices or "alternative" health centres.

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  10. I have found out some more about this house. By a strange chance, I met a gentleman who had lived in the house!

    The architect was John Eaton, who had also designed the Town Hall extension, the Central Library and the section of the Market Hall that included the clock tower, as well as Dukinfield Town Hall.

    At one time there was a proposal to turn it into something like a care home but it has been found that there is a covenant on the house which states that it should always remain a single family house.

    The windows and doors had fine stained glass and in the hallway, lettering in the stained glass read: "Welcome to coming, speed the parting guests", whatever that may have meant!

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  11. I seem to remember someone on the Ashton discussion site saying something about the beautiful trees that surrounded Lyndhurst. I think the owner wanted to cut them down but they were protected and he couldn't get permission...so he did it during the night. I remember being shocked when I passed the house just after the trees had been cut down and saw the tree stumps. It just looked like mindless vandalism.
    Now the house itself is crumbling, it is such a shame.
    June

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  12. Very interesting Martin, especially that you should have come across the gentleman who gave you such a history and first hand. Such a shame that the covenant could not have been contested, by now, it could have been housing so many people in need. not just left to fall into ruin. Thank yhou.

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  13. hi looks more like bleak house . what a waste a find building like that doing nothing , and the trees all gone sadj

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  14. i love his photo .,it so good and plain to see ,what makes it more so is ,if you are looking at it at morning it lookslike it was taken just at that moment just as the sun came up ,but if you are looking at it late afternoon it looks like it was taken just at that moment again , as the sun is going down ,if you understand what i mean ,

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  15. HI, Does anyone know who the owner of this property is or a forwarding address for them?

    I am interested in history and would like some information on it.

    thanks

    Kay

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  16. I live in the area, though not close by and I only noticed this the other day when driving past - don't know how I could have missed it!
    Does anyone know any way that i could gain more history on this beautiful property?

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  17. hi i would like to possibly buy the property and keep it as it is a family home if anybody could possibly provide any additoinal information on it so i could at least have a chance at putting it back to its former glory would love to hear from you can you help ????? contact number is 0770633162 email buttermybaps@yahoo.co.uk thank you if not kirsty.

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  18. I was in awe of this property for years and used to walk past the house every day and reminds me of norman bate's house or some spooky house but its lovely and someone needs to buy this property and restore this as it is a landmark of broadoak road.

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  19. Does any one have any pics of what this house used to look like before it became derelict.

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  20. http://www.tamesidehistoryforum.org.uk/hat2006pdf.pdf theres a picture here sorry if this is a late reply :)

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  21. http://www.tamesidehistoryforum.org.uk/hat2006pdf.pdf here's a picture when the house was in a better condition, sorry if this is a slow reply i'm a newb and charlotte-anne is my daughter :)

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  22. Hi, I live just behind this house. I was just researching more on the history, as wouldlove to see it like its former self, the neighbours are so upset to see this once beautiful home, now so demolished! we have heard many of the different stories to this property. It was bought by Rothwells, who apparently want to see this knocked down and build apartments on the land. I heard about the covenant, which is apparently owned by next doors. i think the guy who owns tried to buy off neighbour, along with their house too for over a mil. but this offer was declined (well thats what the rumour was, you can never say if completely true) but you're also right about the trees, there all protected around us, we cannot cut down! we used to hear banging noises in the middle of the night from the house, and realised people or kids were being paid to go in through the night to tare down the slates from the roof etc, obviously to sell, and probably in hope the quicker it was falling to pieces the sooner the would get permission to just knock down. they have definately had people in there during the nights to tare down, you could hear it going on allthe time, until it must have reported to police. and thats how suddenly its becomelike ths!!! its such a shame, and makes you angry when you have been brought up, around this beautiful old house!! so sad. we would love anyone to buythis from them and do up as family home again!! x

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  23. I've seen some sort of work going on at the house. Anyone know what's going on?

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  24. I live next door to this property and have done so since 1981. It has been heartbreaking watching this property rot away but it looks as though someone has now bought this house and the rumours are that they are going to restore it to its former glory so fingers crossed everyone!!

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  25. hi my name is lucie
    the no. 88 broadoak rd is just up the street from me im really interested and im only 10 years old but they are doing it up now they started months ago but they dont seem to be doing any work on the house just the garden me & my friends think it may be haunted!!!
    bye
    lucie.n

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  26. Just to let people know... I live just round the corner from here. It was bought by a developer a few years ago who wanted to turn into flats. However like mentioned previously he was refused due to the 'single residence' deeds. He has since sold the house to, I am told, the Raja Bros family ( of the Raja chain of corner shops) They have started work on the house to bring it back to, hopefully, its former glory.

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