Darlington
Derelict Georgian house set for revamp
 |
| REVAMP: The detached villa in Grange Road |
A LANDMARK house near one of
Darlington's parks is about to
have its Georgian features restored
after being left derelict
and vandalised for years.
The refurbishment will include
the return of the Georgian
balustrade to the house.
It has been held in storage by
Darlington Borough Council for
a number of years to protect it
from vandals.
The mid-19th Century detached
villa, in Grange Road, is
to become two high quality,
three-storey homes - Neasham
House and Neasham Lodge.
There will also be a new apartment
block - Riverside Grange -
within the grounds, providing a
further nine homes.
The developer, Mainside Developments
Limited, is determined
that the Georgian features
of the grade II-listed mansion
house will again grace the building,
which overlooks South Park.
Maineside director Dave Muir
said: "We are also restoring the
original ceiling cornices, which
were revealed when we stripped
out suspended ceilings installed
in the Sixties when Neasham
House became local authority
flats."
Mr Muir believes that the best
thing about the refurbishment
will be the restoration of the original
lightwell in the six-bedroomed
house.
He said: "Lightwells were quite
common in the grand houses of
the Georgian and Victoria periods,
and throw natural light on
enclosed areas, such as stairwells,
to create a very attractive
feature.
"Light will play an important
role in the lives of the eventual
owners of Neasham House and
Lodge, as both benefit from large
private sun terraces, giving stunning
views over South Park."
Councillor Peter Freitag said:
"It will be wonderful to see the
house restored.
"It is in such a beautiful spot
overlooking the park, and it has
been a real shame to see it so neglected
over the years.
"The developers have a major
job on their hands and if they do
it well, they certainly deserve
gratitude."
Maineside is hosting open days
at the Neasham House development
on the weekend of July 5
and 6, from 10am to 4pm.
More details will be announced
nearer the date.
For more information, call
01642-579589.
8:30am Monday 5th May 2008
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