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Latitude: 50.5821 / 50°34'55"N
Longitude: -1.2773 / 1°16'38"W
OS Eastings: 451265
OS Northings: 76068
OS Grid: SZ512760
Mapcode National: GBR 8CX.FWK
Mapcode Global: FRA 876J.J76
Plus Code: 9C2WHPJF+R3
Entry Name: Orchard Close Orchard Dene the Orchard
Listing Date: 22 November 1993
Grade: II
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1219610
English Heritage Legacy ID: 392873
ID on this website: 101219610
Location: The Orchard, Isle of Wight, PO38
County: Isle of Wight
Civil Parish: Niton and Whitwell
Traditional County: Hampshire
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Isle of Wight
Church of England Parish: Niton St John the Baptist
Church of England Diocese: Portsmouth
Tagged with: Architectural structure
NITON AND WHITWELL
SZ57NW UNDERCLIFF DRIVE
1353-0/6/238 The Orchard, Orchard Dene and
Orchard Close
GV II
Originally a large marine villa, now divided into flats.
Remodelled or rebuilt c1813 from an existing cottage orne and
extended by Sir Willougby Gordon Bart A.D.C. to the Duke of
Wellington in the Peninsular Wars and later Quartermaster
General of the Forces and Private Military Secretary to the
Duke of York, whose principal residence was North Court in
Shorwell Parish (qv). Asymmetrical, rambling building in the
Gothic style built of Isle of Wight ashlar. Slate roof with
stone chimneystacks. The central part of the garden front is
of 2 storeys 3 windows. 3 gables with kneelers and blank
shields. The principal feature is a very large 13 light canted
bay of sashes with trefoliated heads supported on clustered
cast iron supports with tent-shaped canopy above. Behind this
are windows with cambered heads and double French windows.
Under the right side gable is a double 8 pane sash with hood
moulding. Left side doorcase with 4 centred arch and 8 Gothick
headed panes with fanlight of intersecting glazing bars above.
The left side has a 2 storey canted bay. The right hand wing
is of 3 storeys with hipped roof, 3 double Gothick windows to
2nd floor and large 4 light canted bay to 1st floor. To the
left is a further 2 storey portion (Orchard Dene) which has 2
gothick headed lights on the 1st floor and 4 large 4-light
windows on the ground floor with trefoliated headed sashes and
hood moulding. The left hand side's of white brick with 1
casement having trefoliated head and 1st floor 4 light canted
bay. To the rear is Orchard Close, of white brick with hipped
slate roof and cemented chimneystacks in similar style.
Interior of the Orchard has several early C19 plaster reliefs
of the Parthenon friezes, a wine cellar with slate shelves and
a staircase hall with stone flags and curved staircase with
clustered iron balusters and mahogany handrail. On the site
was a C16 house owned by the Orchard family but no trace of
this was found at the time of survey. Many sketches of the
Orchard and its garden were made by J M Turner and Sir David
Wilkie R.A. The poet Algernon Swinburne was a nephew of Lady
Gordon and was a frequent visitor. His poem "A Forsaken
Garden" 1876 is thought to describe the garden at the Orchard.
The house is shown in an aquatint after John Grendall
published in Ackermann's Repository of Arts April 1826 and
also in a print of 1821. One of the most significant early C19
villas in the Undercliff area of the Isle of Wight.
(Niton Calling: 19 - 30; Richard J Hutchings and Raymond V
Turley 1978: Young Algernon Swinburne: 21).
Listing NGR: SZ5126576068
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