Thursday 27 March 2014

Deans Way — A Rare Survival from the 40's


Not much to look at — just your average surburban street and one of its unremarkable semi-detached blocks. However, look closer and you'll see that one house has never been touched by a secondary builder, glazer or roofer and retains all original features except the front door and guttering in perfect unaltered condition.

Still unimpressed? Well, Deans Way and Canons Way, a small estate in Ash Green comprising of 166 1940's houses boasts not a single house other than this one that has not been altered in some way in the past six decades. Some have been altered beyond recognition, for instance, the other house in the same block which has almost nothing remaining of its facade apart from the bricks above the porch and below the downstairs bay window. All the rest, no matter how little secondary work has been done, have replacement double-glazed windows and almost all in white UPVC.

It's a shame there's not an original front door left on the estate. If there was I'd suggest the owner of the above property buy it together with its frame, install them, and bring at least one house out of the whole lot back into full unaltered condition.

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