|
Listing:
Sandy Lane in Aldersley was first developed for residential purposes in
the late 19th century and the first property to appear on it was a villa
built for the local industrialist Benjamin Davis Rollings. Benjamin D
Rollings was a partner in The Star Cycle Company with his brother in law
Edward Lisle who lived at The Oaklands on Tettenhall Green. The company
built a car, the Star Benz, in 1898. The convent building was known both
as 'Almeda' and Danesbury House and in the 1950s was bought by the Roman
Catholic Church and a priest ministered from it. In 1957 it was handed
over to the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Tarbes who opened a
school. In 2004 the school closed completely and the site has been the
subject of a planning permission for residential properties, however the
Sisters continue to live there for the present and 'Almeda' or Danesbury
House remains largely unaltered from its time of building. Its elegance
and its historical associations meet the criteria for it to be included
on the Local List.
Comment: This house was originally identified
and researched by Brian Rollings, whose family history, giving much
information on the background of this house, can be found
here, on this web
site. The house was built by Benjamin Rollings for his own use. He
was not only a backer of Star cars but principally was a successful
local master builder.
The Sisters of St. Joseph were nuns who call
came from India. The school was a successful and well
regarded school for infants and juniors. The original
gardens of the house, which were very extensive, were used as
playing fields. It is that area which has now obtained
planning permission for residential development, much to the
disgust of the local people, who have strong views on the effect
of increased traffic on the narrow Sandy Lane.
|
