Broadstone House
The house and surrounding grounds are currently in the process of being developed by Muir Construction.
The house on its own is not what will make the company any money in the long run it is the surrounding land which will now have large and expensive houses built on it. The houses will be built in such a way that there will be a view of the river from each.
The house itself has started to be striped of old plaster and interior floors and ceilings removed to allow for the drying out and treatment of timbers.
The tree surgeons have already given their instructions and many trees will be cleared from the site in the near future.
It was difficult to tell if any of the surrounding buildings were still standing .
The area was very overgrown and because of the time of year that I visited you could not even see the river for the foliage.
This is the back of the building (Clyde side middle photograph). There is a disabled access ramp that you can't see here that would have been added as would the fire escape stair way when the building became a hospital.
This smaller building has had what looks like another level added and a new roof. We are lead to believe that this was at one time the stables and has been converted at some point.
Polythenes cover the windows as the plaster work is removed and the bare timbers and wiring exposed for renewal. There was no evidence of the stained window or when it might have been removed.
The highlight of SVA Proprty Auctions Ltd in 2001 these was "the successful disposal of the former Broadfield Hospital, for £725,000. It is believed that this sale at the time represented the largest lot ever sold under the hammer in Scotland."
The building was an A-listed
Scottish Baronial mansion built in Port Glasgow in 1870. Originally known as Broadstone House when it was built for the Birkmyre family which owned the Gourock Ropeworks, the house was later converted into a pyschiatric hospital and renamed Broadfield Hospital.
At the time of the fire, the building was no longer a hospital and was being converted into upmarket flats.
Within minutes of a fire being reported, two tenders from Port Glasgow and one from neighbouring Greenock were at the scene. Firefighters found that the top floor and roofspace of the detached building were well alight.
Crowds soon gathered to witness the fire which could be seen for miles around. Extra firefighting resources,
including a high reach platform and two ground monitors, to pump high volumes of water onto the blaze, were
called in. Despite the firefighters' concerted efforts, however, the building was gutted by the fire.
CASTLEBANK
This upmarket development comprises of 4 and 5 bedroom luxury villas and 2 and 3 bedroom executive apartments.
The development enjoys an elevated position surrounded by mature trees with panoramic views overlooking the Firth of Clyde where the hills rise almost instantly from the shores of the Firth
The following pictures show the house in June & August 2005.
before it was finally converted and restored.
Some of the new builds in the development by Muir Homes
Fire photographs courtesy of Inverclyde Now and Strathclyde fire Brigade
This page last modified on Friday, April 02, 2010