A 19th century building, which earned a place in an influential book about England’s architectural treasures, has been bought by a private investor.
The new owner of The Mount, in Sheffield’s Glossop Road, is thought to be local and acquired the Grade II listed building through property agency Commercial Property Partners (CPP). The landmark Broomhill building was put on the market after the freeholder went into receivership.
The neoclassical building — which changed hands for an undisclosed seven-figure sum — was once the headquarters of insurance companies General Accident and Norwich Union before being let to its current tenants the National Health Service and the telephone sales company Voice Marketing.
“The Mount is an extremely attractive and elegant building, featuring a campus-style complex of two substantial buildings set within their own grounds,” explained Rob Darrington, a partner with CPP. “In all it has 39,000sq ft of quality office space, with ancillary storage and car parking.”
Originally built as a terrace of eight houses in the 1830s the design, by Sheffield architect William Flockton, followed a trend set in London’s Regent Park for a buildings modelled on a country mansion but which contained several genteel, self-contained dwellings.
The Mount was purchased by the Sheffield department store, John Walsh Ltd, in the early years of the 20th century which used two of its flats for staff housing. In December, 1940, the building was transformed into as a temporary retail outlet when Walsh’s High Street store was destroyed in the Sheffield Blitz.
By 1958 The Mount had been purchased by the United Steel Companies and converted to offices. Nine years later it became the regional headquarters of British Steel. Norwich Union purchased the building in 1978 and allowed it to be included within the newly designated Broomhill Conservation Area.
“The Mount is mentioned in Nikolaus Pevsner’s seminal work The Buildings of England and is a very significant part of Sheffield’s architectural heritage and will be cherished accordingly,” added Darrington.
“The freeholders of The Mount got into difficulties and ultimately went into receivership. This presented an excellent investment opportunity for our client, who is determined to ensure the heritage building is preserved and enhanced for the future.”
