Site visitor David Bolt has been researching Beaconsfield House and is looking for information about its role as an AFS during WW2.
Can anyone help?
David writes…
Beaconsfield house was Built around 1882 for John Henry Burn Esq; a wealthy coal-owner and philanthropist, he named the house after British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield. Mr Burn died in 1898 but his widow, Catherine continued to live there until 1922. The property comprised of a Boot room or Pantry found in the basement, on the ground floor there were a Drawing Room, Dining Room a Library, Billiard Room, in the hall at ground level a feature staircase which took you to the first floor; eight bedrooms, two indoor W.C.s two Bathrooms and then in the Attic a further three rooms for the servants.
Between 1922 and 1939 Beaconsfield House was owned by my great great grandfather Robert Thornton Bolt.In January, 1938, Tynemouth Council approved a new hotel on the Grand Parade (Park Hotel) which was advertised to open on July 1 1939. It was intended to be the most modern of hotels, with a continental appearance. Not long after opening, two bombs went off at Tynemouth Park in October, 1940. A bomb landed on the railway behind the hotel in April, 1941, but failed to explode, as did another in August 1942. During the Second World War Beaconsfield house was used as a anti-aircraft AFS station.
In January 1946 the local council gave Barnardo’s just 24 hours notice to occupy the house or lose it after two other local homes were destroyed during the war. The house and grounds covered an area of 1 acre 3 roods and could accommodate up to 40 boys. The home closed on 1 September 1953 after Tynemouth Council bought the house under a compulsory purchase order In 1953 for use as a convalescent home.
In 1956 the council took the decision to demolish the house and work was completed early in 1957. Plans to develop the site never went ahead.
During the Second World War Beaconsfield House was used as an anti-aircraft AFS station. I would be interested to learn if you have any information regarding this particular AFS station or able to point me in the right direction to find out more about the people involved with the AFS station.