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

• 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

• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)