A ‘MAGNIFICENT’ town centre landmark building dating from the 18th century has been put on the market with an asking price of £595,000.

Newcastle Conservative Club has put the Grade II-listed Carlton House, above, up for sale after suffering a fall in membership.

The two-storey Georgian building, originally built as a large house in Merrial Street in around 1769, has been the club’s base for 143 years.

But a drop in the number of people using the club has forced it to look at relocating to a smaller venue.

Club chairman Frank Allman said the move was sad but unavoidable.

He said: “Purely and simply we’re having to relocate because of a drop in members using the place. We’ve got exactly the same problems as the pub trade, except that we charge a membership fee.

“It is a big building, which is very expensive to maintain.

“Five years ago we paid to re-roof the place, and you can imagine how expensive that was, and then we redecorated the outside of the building, and a function room. But then the recession hit us.

“Ideally we’d like to move into an existing pub, where we could just pick up and carry on as normal.”

The Conservative Club currently has 350 members, of which 50 currently use the club.

The building’s features include a bar and restaurant, a games room and a ballroom with a sprung floor, capable of accommodating up to 80 people.

It also contains a large kitchen, offices and a self-contained caretaker’s flat.

The 7,760 square foot building is now being listed for sale by Louis Taylor, with an asking price of £595,000.

The brochure describes Carlton House as “a magnificent town centre Grade II Georgian Listed Building”.

Mr Allman added: “I never wanted to relocate the club. We’ve just celebrated our 140th anniversary, and we’ve fought long and hard at keeping it open at Carlton House. But it’s just a question of footfall.

“I don’t know who might buy the building. We’ve had two viewings so far, but we don’t know what has come of those yet.”

Jim Worgan, pictured, vice-chairman of Newcastle Civic Society, believes it is important that such an important building is kept well preserved.

He said the building was originally two houses which were joined together to form Carlton House in 1874.

Mr Worgan said: “It’s been used by the Conservative Club for as long as I can remember.

“I was five years old when the war ended, so my memories of walking down Merrial Street go back to the mid-1940s, and I always knew it as the Conservative Club.

“It is a really iconic building and one of the oldest in Newcastle. But I’m not sure who would be able to buy it, and what they’d want to do with it.

“It won’t be demolished, but I am concerned for its future.”

Viewings of Carlton House can be arranged by calling Louise Taylor Commercial on 01782 260222.