APRIL 2025

50 Wood Street (Ivy House)

A double gable house, with the rear of the building older then the front! A stunning wrought iron porch by the front door is an iconic feature of this property.

No 50 Wood Street (Ivy House) was built on the main Nottingham Road thoroughfare at the old eastern entrance to the Town.

It is believed that Napoleonic officers (who were Prisoners of War in Ashby) made the fretwork for the gable ends of the building. Between 1803-1815, one in five soldiers fighting for Napoleon experienced captivity (fed by mass conscription) resulting in the war bringing over 120,000 French POW’s to Britain.

Local folklore also tells us about an alleged tunnel running from the property cellar to Ashby Castle (one could argue a potential ‘look-out station’ and an escape route back to the castle).

The annexe to the left of Ivy House was a veterinary surgery for many years up to the late 1990’s Derek Lane and John Tuckey were Veterinary business partners until the 1980’s (Mr Lane’s father was living at the property in 1936).

The Woods plan of Ashby (1837) refers to Estate Agent John Simmonds Mammatt (1805-1851) living at 50 Wood Street (He later moved to the Manor House).

The current owners are Rowena and Paul Hackwood.