Broadwood Road was an exclusive development of elegant colonial-style houses, either bungalows or two-storey, on the Broadwood ridge. Because of their raised elevation, these houses enjoyed cooling breezes and pleasing views, and were built with the wealthy in mind.
Number 18 was a bungalow built not long after 1915 by C E Warren and Co Ltd. Architect Charles Warren liked the ridge development enough to own two properties himself later on. Number 20, the Towers, was the finest on the ridge.
The bungalows typically had four rooms with kitchen, two bathrooms and servants' quarters. A long path from the front door led down to Broadwood Road.
These houses were constructed from locally cut granite blocks and concrete, with timber rafters. They were painted white, and would have gleamed brightly when newly painted. The granite walls would have kept temperatures cooler in summer and provided sturdy security in the typhoon season.
Occupants lived extremely comfortable lifestyles, with the services of an amah and a cook. For many years access anywhere would have been by rickshaw or sedan chair. Even when cars became more numerous, Broadwood Road was just a single track road, certainly up to the 1960s.
Because the houses were built on a ridge, they had fine views not only to the front and rear of the house (Happy Valley/the Peak/Wanchai/the harbour, and to the east the So Kon Po Valley/ Jardine's lookout), but all around, including south towards the Wong Nei Chung Gap.
Today number 18 no longer exists. The four towers of the Villa Lotto have taken its place, possibly Block A.
More can be found on the first Broadwood Road owners here.
Photos that show this Place
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Occupants of no. 18 in 1938
The Hewetts at 18 Broadwood Road were neighbours and friends of the family of Leslie Warren. The Hewetts lived at no. 19 until Cicely Warren left for England with her children, Geoffrey and Diana in the late summer of 1938 following the invasion of Canton. Shirley Anne Hewett was a friend of Diana Warren who wrote her surname as "Hewitt" on the back of this photo. I've belatedly established that no. 18 was an Asiatic Petroleum house, in which case the tenant in 1938 would have been Harry Walter Hewett. He appears in a previous photo that I've posted - so more editing to follow .....