Description

SAFFRON WALDEN

TL5338 HIGH STREET
669-1/1/217 (West side)
01/11/72 No.75
Hill House including frontage wall
to north and north boundary wall
(Formerly Listed as:
HIGH STREET
General Post Office Sorting Office)

GV II

Large town house, now divided into 17 flats. Early and mid
C19. Ashlar, stuccoed brickwork with slated hipped roofs. Main
block of 4 storeys with 3 storey extension to N and recessed
centre to garden front (rear). The entire block has wide
overhanging eaves with moulded soffit and there are 3 tall
stuccoed stacks with cornices and close spaced modillions.
High Street elevation of main block has stucco bands between
each storey and central 2-storey bow of slight projection with
decorative panels in parapet. On the third floor there are
three 6-pane square double hung sashes. The second floor has 3
similar deeper 12 paned double-hung sashes. The first floor
has one similar window either side of central bow which has 3
similar windows. Windows are arranged in similar way on ground
floor but these are 9 panes, segmental arched and have
keystones over. To the S is a projecting flat roofed porch
with door deeply recessed between pilasters to form lobby.
This has serpentine curved parapet over and a flight of 6
stone steps and recessed bootscrapers either side,
wrought-iron handrails and door of 4 raised and fielded
panels. The N extension to the High Street elevation has
similar windows but expressed in a 3 storey pattern. On the
first and second floors are two 12 paned double-hung sashes
and ground floor has 2 small segmental arched headed 9 pane
double-hung sashes. To the N is a short stuccoed wall on
frontage with segmental arched door to garden.
Rear elevation is of elaborate Italianate Villa form with
recessed centre and open loggia arcade linking the side
pavilions. This elevation is all 3 storeys with stucco moulded
bands between storeys. The recessed centre has 3 double-hung
sash windows on first and second floors with plain stucco
surrounds. The loggia has 4 segmental arches on square plan
piers with naturalistic capitals. These are panels of
naturalistic foliage over springing of each arch. The S
projecting wing has 3 plain double-hung sash windows on second
floor, over 3 linked similar windows with single vertical
glazing bars, semicircular arched heads, square intermediate
piers and balustrades below. The ground floor has arcade-like
arrangement of double-hung sash windows with semicircular
arches on intermediate columns. The N projecting wing has tall
arcaded canted bay at first floor with balustrading below and
arcaded windows on ground floor of 3 double-hung sashes with
intermediate piers. Tall boundary/retaining wall to N partly
of flint and partly of red brick with buttress pilasters on N
side.
INTERIOR somewhat altered but with main staircase at S end.
Former house of the Gibson Family.

Listing NGR: TL5376238205

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Hill House at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q21061729

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

• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)