The Mount, No. 4 North Avenue, Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Historic Building Recording (OASIS ID: preconst1-248243)

Pre-Construct Archaeology Limited was commissioned by Pillar Construction Ltd to undertake a programme of historic building recording focused upon The Mount, a large late 19th century Gentleman's residence within landscaped grounds at No. 4 North Avenue, Ashbourne, Derbyshire. The historic building recording was undertaken in connection with planning permission to demolish the house and replace it with an apartment block. Documentary evidence shows that The Mount was built between 1871 and 1876. By 1876 it was occupied by Neville Beard, a mechanical engineer. Neville died in 1907 and his widow lived at the Mount until she died in 1926. The house was sold at auction to Sidney Hall Bagshaw in 1926. Photographs of the house in the 1926 sales particulars show that at that time it had second floor rooms within a steeply pitch roof. It was during the Bagshaw's ownership, between 1926 and c.1952 that the house suffered a disastrous event. On 18th December 1944, an aeroplane, crashed into the house. Whilst the damage to the house was considerable it was not sufficiently deleterious to merit its demolition and the house was re-instated to its present incarnation, of two floors with a new flat, roof during the summer of 1945. The building has henceforth remained relatively unaltered apart from some internal rearrangement, particularly within the service block and modernisation of facilities