A is for Abbeyfield

During the lockdown of 2020, and into 2021, I used to take my daily exercise in the form of a walk, which sometimes took me along Ashby Road. As you may know, I have been fascinated by this road since I started this blog in August 2013, and have tried to document the changes, for example, visiting the even-numbered properties in 2023.  

Much of Ashby Road, which was the main turnpike road out of Loughborough, towards Ashby, and thus once had a toll house, is lined with large, Victorian residences, homes to numerous well-known names of Loughborough – Clemersons, Schofield, Burder, Middleton, and more. Some of the larger properties were better known by their name – Redholme, Iffley, Ingleside, Westfields, Essex Lodge, and so on. Beautiful houses, some of which were built by local builders, William Moss, of local bricks by Tuckers.

So, imagine my disappointment when No.190 Ashby Road was demolished during 2021!

From my early days in Loughborough, I had become familiar with Abbeyfield, most especially their property on Forest Road (at number 59), at 17 Victoria Street, and at 190 Ashby Road. At the time, the Society also had other properties, which I wasn’t aware of, namely 7 and 8 Park Street, 11 and 12 Park Road, and 45 Toothill Road. Their logo, printed on a white sign with blue and red writing was quite distinctive.

It seems the Abbeyfield Society, a charity, was founded in 1956 by one Richard Carr-Gomm, who had given up his position in the Royal Berkshire Regiment and the Coldstream Guards and become a home help, rather an unusual role in the 1950s for a man. Anyway, realising that many people benefitted from his company, he bought a house in Bermondsey, East London, and had a couple of people come and live with him. This was in 1955, and in 1956 he bought more properties and formed the Abbeyfield Society. The Society received donations from the public, such that by 1963, there were more than 100 Abbeyfield homes across the country.

In 1963, the Abbeyfield Loughborough Society, Ltd was formed, as an independent body, but also a member of the national Abbeyfield Society, the idea for which came from members of the recently opened John Storer House. A grant was obtained from the Smith’s Charity. 

In 1964, the Abbeyfield Loughborough Society provided care homes at 45 Toothill Road, and 59 Forest Road, and then in 1967 at 11 and 12 Park Road. In 1968 the Society bought 17 Victoria Street, which they opened in 1969, and extended in 1974. Numbers 7 and 8 Park Street were then bought between 1974 and 1976, and 190 Ashby Road, which was left to the Society in 1976, and opened in 1978.

In 1990, the Society built a property at 44 Westfield Drive, which was behind number 190 Ashby Road, and number 42 Westfield Drive was bought in 1999 and along with number 42, was extended. During this period, in 1991, the Victoria Street building was refurbished, and during the same year, Toothill was closed, Park Street was sold off in 1995, Forest Road was extended in 1996, and Park Road closed in 1997.

During its existence as a home, the Victoria Street property was host to a couple of visits from Mrs Eva Emily Larkin, mother of the poet Phillip Larkin; she lived on York Road, and spent a few weeks in the home while her daughter took a well-deserved break. The property remained with the Society until 2011, when it was closed, and all the focus was then on the Westfield Drive and Ashby Road properties.

The Victoria Street property

And so we come to 2018, and the closure of the Ashby Road property, which was demolished during 2021, and rebuilt as a purpose-built facility to look after those living with dementia. As a Dementia Ambassador for my previous employer, I realise how important such a focus is, and also that a Victorian building, despite its many modifications can hardly be made suitable for its prospective residents.

I hope previous residents of number 190 Ashby Road, also known as Ingleside, would approve of the changes the site of their house has seen.

The new building going up July 2021

Detail of the new facility

The new Ingleside House, 2023

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This post is part of a series in the 2024 ‘Blogging from A to Z April Challenge’.

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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