Ashfield House, East Park Road

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