Early look at former Swad landmark
HISTORIC MANSION SITE GETS A NEW LIFE AS BUNGALOWS
THE site of a former Victorian mansion which played an important part in Swadlincote’s history has been transformed into a housing development and opens this weekend.
Eureka Lodge, in Newhall Road, Swadlincote, was bulldozed last year to make way for a development containing 13 bungalows after the home, built by industrialist John Wragg who ran both pottery kilns and pipeworks in the town, was left to rot over the years.
As a nod to the businessman, the mix of two- and three-bedroom homes has been dubbed The Cornish, The Kiln, The Bretby and The Gresley.
The Bretby is a three-bed bungalow which has a central hall leading to a large living room with a bay window, an impressive open plan kitchen dining room and a family bathroom. The master bedroom boasts an en suite and French doors open on to a private garden.
A double-fronted two-bed bungalow, The Cornish comprises a hallway leading to a large living room, open-plan kitchen/dining room and family bathroom. The large master bedroom also has French doors to the private garden. The two-bed Kiln has a similar layout. The master bedroom has French doors on to a private garden.
The Gresley comprises a central hallway leading to a large living room a open plan kitchen/dining room, a family bathroom and two double bedrooms. The master bedroom has an home and, now, with modern fittings en-suite bathroom. The development is called Eureka Lodge Gardens, following a competition in the Burton Mail to rename the site, won by reader Louise Jarvis.
The kitchens come fitted with fridgefreezer and dishwasher. The bathrooms come with LED downlighting and contemporary white sanitary ware.
The buildings also have an intruder alarm and come with LABC 10-year cover.
Three of the properties, which are on the market starting from £265,000, have already been sold. The site is expected to be completed by the end of May.
Steve Hughes, construction manager for housing developer Mallard Homes, said some of the features of Eureka Lodge have been reclaimed – such as many of the bricks. The walls surrounding the site also remain.
The original pillars of the gated entrance to the old lodge have been kept and are being rebuilt.
The 11-bedroom Eureka Lodge was controversially left abandoned for more than 20 years. It was added to South Derbyshire District Council’s list of buildings of historic and architectural interest, safeguarding the 19th-century house’s future but, crucially, it did not achieve listed status and was left to rot.
It later became a danger to the public, attracting vandals. The home closed for good in 1996 and was empty until its demolition last year. Despite its important part in Swadlincote’s history, English Heritage said Eureka Lodge did not have significant architectural merit and was beyond economic repair.