Description

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

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26514141

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

• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy