Chesterfield care home marks 200th anniversary of storied grade II building
Staff and residents of a Chesterfield care home enjoyed a summer tea party recently to mark the 200th anniversary of the building and learn all about the legends of its past.
There is some uncertainty about the exact age of Bank Close House, off Hasland Road, but available evidence dates it to the early 1800s.
That gave its current occupants reason enough for celebration, so they threw an open day and tea party a few weeks ago.
They used the occasion to delve into its past, and assemble a display of information about the many lives that have played out within its walls.
Activities coordinator Vicky Covell said: “I love the feeling of the place and all the history, its so full of character. It’s a fascinating place to work.”
Before becoming a care home in the early 1980s, Bank Close operated as the TI Guest House Sports and Social Club, an entertainment facility for the nearby Tube Works.
But winding the clock back even further, it was home to the wealthy Drabble family, whose patriarch William served as Mayor of Chesterfield in 1853-54, and again in 1861.
Not every chapter has been so illustrious though, with a well-documented murder in the grounds in 1868 and other unfortunate incidents.
Vicky said: “There are stories of a little girl who fell out of a window, and now it’s said to be haunted. People sometimes hear her shouting upstairs, and there have been other things happen too.
“Personally, I look at the big beautiful hallways, the sweeping staircase and imagine all the Georgian ladies getting dressed up in ball gowns for their parties.”
Today the house and its modern extension provide a care setting or up to 27 residents.
To learn more, visit devonshire.care/homes/bank-close-house-care-home-chesterfield.