THAT bungalow with a difference, The Hacienda in
Shrewbridge Road, was demolished in the late summer of 2008. Nantwich historian Andrew Lamberton
had an interest in the lost building - apart from his interest and book
publishing skills on the topic - after being given permission to photograph the
ornate interior.
He was surprised to see that the building had
gone - and even more surprised to learn that outline planning permission had been
granted by the former Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council for it to be replaced by three
properties.
But outline permission soon became
full permission and in late 2010 the change became a reality.
Andrew told me he
was "lucky enough to be shown round" The Hacienda, and he sent
me some of the photographs he was able to take. Some of the interior
features which he saw came from the old Eaton Hall (designed by Alfred
Waterhouse in Victorian Gothic) when it was
being
demolished, he told me.
They are shown on this page because
they will be of interest to people who like old properties - and as a matter
of
record, if the features were to be lost in the demolition.
Fortunately it didn't come to that
*(see Part 2 of this Spotlight).
Andrew told me that The Hacienda
was "built by Walter Elson (the Nantwich corn merchant) in the mid 1960s.
"It was built around an open square, very similar to the cloister type of
arrangement that you find in cathedrals.
"The dining room, I thought, was
the nicest room, being fully panelled in, I think, rich mahogany. The
picture here shows this nicely. The top string is beautifully inlaid with
mother of pearl.