Description

612/0/10087 BANBURY ROAD
10-JUL-02 Summertown
Diamond Cottages

II

Terrace of 4 cottages, early/mid-C19 (Nos.3 and 4 likely c.1830/40 with Nos.1 and 2 added soon after). Nos.3 and 4 timber-framed with brick party walls, Nos.1 and 2 rendered brick all under hipped tile roof. Wood hornless sashes. 4 attached 2-storey cottages, pair to west slightly later and now under continuous roof.

PLAN: Rectangular range of 4 attached cottages with through-passage at west end to rear yards. Each cottage 2-rooms-deep and with small 2-storey rear outshuts.

EXTERIOR: South elevation comprises facades of panelled doors with overlights, and large 8-over-8 sashes to ground floor below large 8-over-8 sashes to first floor. All sashes hornless and set in reveals with shallow projecting cills. No.1 at west end with arched through-passage off which is entrance to this cottage. 2 shared stacks in hipped tiled roof with overhanging eaves. North elevation with gabled 2-storey, 1-room-deep outshut to each cottage, that to No. 1 enlarged in late-C20. Wood 6-over-6 sash to each cottage at ground floor below same at first floor. East elevation with second floor 6-over-6 wood sash, and West elevation blank, both with overhanging eaves.

INTERIOR: Each cottage with similar plan of side entrance directly into hall with living room. Dining room and stair to rear cell and kitchens in rear outshut. Individual stone cellar beneath each cottage with brick relieving arch under chimneystacks. First floors with 1 bedroom to front; stair, hall and secondary bedroom to rear cell; bathrooms to outshut.
No.4 is the most complete. 6-panel door with over-light into entry corridor with cornice and console brackets at arch leading to stair with replaced turned balusters and newel posts throughout. Dining room with dado panelling, built-in panelled cupboards, blocked fireplace, 4-panel doors, and 6-pane hornless sash to rear. Wide opening with architrave into front room with cornice and flat pilaster fireplace surround with tiles and iron grate. Wide plank wood floors throughout ground and first floor rooms. At first floor, front room with 4-panel door, cupboard with 4-panel door and simple pilaster fireplace surround with iron grate. Secondary bedroom with 4-panel door and hornless 6-over-6 sash to rear, plain fireplace surround and iron grate. 2-panel door with architrave to both sides into rear outshut at both floors.
No.3 ground floor front room with C20 blocked fireplace, built-in cupboard, and original sashes and trim. Staircase with column newel and turned balusters. 4-panel cupboard door in main bedroom.
No.2 ground floor front room with complete sliding panelled shutters and architrave to original 12-panel sash window. Cornice same as in No.1 and picture rail to front room. Stick baluster stair and column newel post. Sash windows, cornices, architraves and 4-panel doors throughout. Secondary bedroom with built-in panelled cupboards and simple fireplace surround.
No.1 ground floor front room with complete sliding panelled shutters within architrave for original 12-panel sash window. Cornice to front room same as in No.2. Stick baluster and column newel stair.

HISTORY: Built on the site of the C18 Diamond Hall, a notorious tavern that was converted into 4 tenements in the late-C18, and re-built at Diamond Cottages in the early-C19.

SOURCES: Mention of the cottages and their context in Fasnacht, Ruth. Summertown Since 1820 and in Badcock, John The Making of a Regency Village: Origin, History and Description of Summertown in 1832.

A terrace of 4 early/mid-C19 cottages that retain their original scale and charming exteriors, and their plan form and internal fittings of interest.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26314571

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
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  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
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  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
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  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)