Low Fell, East Park Road, Ashfield House

HER Number:
7467

District:
Gateshead

Site Name:
Low Fell, East Park Road, Ashfield House

Place:
Low Fell

Map Sheet:
NZ26SE

Class:
Domestic

Site Type: Broad:
House

Site Type: Specific:
Detached House

General Period:
Early Modern

Specific Period:
C19

Form of Evidence:
Extant Building

Description:
One of the best Victorian villas in the Saltwell Conservation Area {2}. DESCRIPTION / STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE This later 19th century villa was built for the well-known local Mawson family, of the Chemists firm Mawson, Swan and Morgan. It is a simple but dignified double-fronted house in pinkish brick with side lights expanding the ground floor windows. Embellished with sandstone dressings, of particular interest is the heavily corniced canopy supported by scrolled brackets over the broad doorway. The hipped roof is slated at a shallow pitch, with 2 substantial chimneys towards the centre. It also retains timber sash windows and double-leaf timber doors. When the villa was constructed it enjoyed extensive landscaped grounds designed by John Hancock (the well-known local naturalist, and the main force behind the building of the Hancock Museum in Newcastle), with gardens including a dene, rockery and 4 large ash trees. It is therefore of significance arising out of its connections to locally important figures as well as its distinguished architectural character. MATERIALS Pinkish brick, sandstone, slate, timber DATES Late 19th century LOCAL LIST

Easting:
2562

Northing:
6074

Grid Reference:
NZ25626074

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Gateshead Council Local List Fact Sheet X20/LL/087; Gateshead Council, 1999, Conservation Area Policy Guidelines, Strategies and Character Statements, Saltwell Conservation Area, p 65; Lingering in Low Fell