My explorations on Saturday were inspired and guided by From Tollgate to Tramshed, which is a history of Leicester's London Road from 1860 to 1920. But one of the buildings I was most taken with falls outside this period.
Stoneygate Court flats were put up by the Norwich Union in 1931. There are several substantial red-brick blocks, all in this baronial, almost military, style - again I am reminded of Hampstead or some other pleasant London suburb. During World War II the flats housed the medical centre of the Auxiliary Territorial Service.
From Tollgate to Tramshed is, understandably, stronger of the site's history before Stoneygate Court was built. It was home to a large house called The Shrubbery ("Ni!") and its extensive gardens.
Two people interviewed for the book spoke of a hoodoo or curse on the house "where rich people lost money and there was a shooting incident".
I grew up in view of Stoneygate Court and to me, as small child, they looked like Ghost Towers. And then in an extraordinary twist of life, I lived there for 15 months of my life as a teen. It was full of very wealthy, very old people and perhaps I was the only one who discovered the way onto the roof. Without doubt, that was my very favourite part of life at Stoneygate Court, standing all alone on the rooftop, looking all the way over the city out to Bradgate Park.
ReplyDelete