Town centre eyesore finally disappears

It’s long been an eyesore on the streetscape and sandwiched beside some of the town’s historic stock of buildings.

But last week saw the former Ashford Christian Fellowship hall finally demolished in Tufton Street.

The building was unoccupied for quite some time.

Standing for generations, the hall had fallen into extreme dereliction in recent times and became a blight on the town centre, especially a worry for neighbouring residences whose rear elevation back onto the former commercial building.

For many years, the aforementioned Christian Fellowship made the barrel roofed building its home, but it wasn’t always a ‘hall’.

Research indicates that in the early 1960s, the premises were occupied by Ray Electricals and had been used for garage repair for Stanhay.

Later in that decade, the Tufton Street building has been the premises of Lenfield Farm and Garden.

In the 1970s one-time decorating specialist Fads Homecare occupied the premises (it’s sign still evident during demolition) before moving to new premises in New Rents which later became Argos.

In the early 1980s, the building became a garage of sorts once more, only this time, a car showroom for Datsun (Nissan).

Following the departure of the Christian Fellowship, the premises were temporarily used by an array of different businesses including the

White Elephant second-hand store.

Soon it became apparent that the building was beyond economical repair, and planning was passed to build a residential development on the site.

The removal of the former long-standing commercial premises has been met with mixed opinions, but has provided albeit temporary, a rare view of the church of St Mary the Virgin, but in turn, has invaded the privacy of those living in the churchyard.

This week’s trio of images show the premises at the time of Ashford Christian Fellowship’s occupancy, and its subsequent recent demolition.

■ Do you have any photographs or slides of old Ashford you would be willing to loan me to enable them to be scanned for possible feature in the Kentish Express?

Please don’t delay, feel free to get in touch.

Write to me: Steve Salter, Kentish Express Remember When, Unit 4, Park Mall Shopping Centre, Ashford, Kent, TN24 8RY.

Email me: rememberwhen_ kmash@hotmail.co.uk

Follow me on Twitter: @ SteveKMAshford.