Ashgrove Court

Aberdeen, Scotland, opened 1961

About MeAshgrove Court is a 12-storey block of 40 flats, opened in 1961. Aberdeen’s first high rise social housing, it opened with 40 flats over ten floors – 38 “three-apartment” and two “two-apartment” with a basement, a top floor for drying clothes, launderette, two lifts, underfloor electric heating and provision for TV and telephones (Evening Express, 7 March 1961). Newspaper accounts record the impressions of the first tenants as they cleaned and prepared their homes prior to moving in, with mixed expectations of their suitability (Evening Express, 28 March 1961).

Built by Alexander Hall & Co at a cost of £100,000, the building was complete ahead of schedule and considered to be the prototype for future multi-storey building in Aberdeen (Evening Express, 7 March 1961).

Aberdeen Town Council fixed the rates for the flats at lower than that recommended by the housing committee (Evening Express 7 February 1961).

On 4 September 1961, the Evening Express ran another article about the flats, describing how Mrs H Phillip of 15 Ashgrove Court was delighted with her electric underfloor heating: "It's so clean ... There's no dirt, no ashes..." and the children enjoy lying on the floor to watch television.