Now, I maintain, and I maintain most strongly that that the story of a place can be presented in many different ways.
And it was that simple idea which led Peter Topping, me and Armistead Property to produce the story of Denbigh Villas as a giant display during the renovation and development of this property on High Lane.
Denbigh Villas was built in the 1870s, and for a while was home to a number of private schools, before reverting to residential use. More recently it had suffered from some poor structural additions and less than sympathetic conversions into flats. *
During the last year Armistead Property Ltd have restored the exterior, demolished the mid-20th century additions and transformed the interior into modern, comfortable apartments. **
It followed that while all this work was being undertaken it would be fun to make the story of the property better known, and that led to the installation.
The six boards ran along High Lane and on to Stockton Road, for three months, and that time were seen by lots of people, some of whom were passerby but plenty more who came especially to see the history of this bit of Chorlton-cum-Hardy and in particular the story of Denbigh Villas.
The project was a unique one, which brought to together a developer, a historian and an artist.
Usually the giant boards fronting a development are devoid of anything, other than safety notices and adverts for the finished properties.
But together we produced something different, which offered up the background to the building, something of how the surrounding area changed over time, and a description of the work of Armistead Property.
It was designed as a “History Walk”, starting in the 1870s and concluding in the 21st century with the completion of the renovated Denbigh Villas.
And I am pleased that some of the panels are now back on permanent display.
Location; Chorlton
Pictures; three of the six panels, 2019
*Denbigh Villas, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Denbigh%20Villas
**Armistead Property Ltd, http://www.armisteadproperty.co.uk/
Denbigh Villas was built in the 1870s, and for a while was home to a number of private schools, before reverting to residential use. More recently it had suffered from some poor structural additions and less than sympathetic conversions into flats. *
It followed that while all this work was being undertaken it would be fun to make the story of the property better known, and that led to the installation.
The project was a unique one, which brought to together a developer, a historian and an artist.
But together we produced something different, which offered up the background to the building, something of how the surrounding area changed over time, and a description of the work of Armistead Property.
It was designed as a “History Walk”, starting in the 1870s and concluding in the 21st century with the completion of the renovated Denbigh Villas.
And I am pleased that some of the panels are now back on permanent display.
Location; Chorlton
Pictures; three of the six panels, 2019
*Denbigh Villas, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Denbigh%20Villas
**Armistead Property Ltd, http://www.armisteadproperty.co.uk/
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