Description

SUNDERLAND

NZ35SE WARDEN LAW LANE, Silksworth
920-1/6/273 (West side)
25/02/49 Doxford House with conservatory

GV II*
(formerly listed as Doxford House, Sunderland
Polytechnic Hall of Residence with conservatory)
(Formerly Listed as: WARDEN LAW, Silksworth
Doxford House and Forebuilding to Doxford House)

Formerly known as: Silksworth House Silksworth.
Large house, in use as polytechnic students' hall of residence at the time of listing,
with conservatory and forebuilding attached. Probably c1820 with
c1900 alterations. Ashlar front and forebuilding, rear brick
with ashlar dressings, conservatory cast-iron and glass; roof
not visible.
EXTERIOR: House: 3 storeys, 4 windows with left wing 2
storeys, 2 windows. Front has c1900 mullioned and transomed
ground-floor windows and door surround to double doors in
conservatory; upper windows are sashes with fine glazing bars,
in plain stone surrounds on sill bands, the upper windows
smaller, the left in 3-storey part a long stair window;
second-floor sill band continues as parapet band over 2-storey
left part. Taller part has eaves band below gutter cornice and
blocking course; left bays of 2 storeys have blocking course
above eaves band. Low-pitched roof on higher build has
corniced end chimneys; roof of lower build not visible. Left
return has bowed projection with 3 windows, renewed French
windows on ground floor and sashes with glazing bars and plain
reveals on sill bands on first foor below eaves gutter cornice
and blocking course. Rear elevation has similar sashes in
tooled stone surrounds.
Forebuilding: Italian renaissance style with heavily
rusticated pilasters, voussoirs and jambs to high central
round-headed double door with studded panels. Similar
round-arched openings in flanking bays have wrought-iron
grilles. Block rustication on half columns of Tuscan detail
which support entablature breaking forward on large scroll
brackets; door keystone rises to richly-carved tympanum, with
rich mantling to heraldic device resembling that of
Collingwood family, under serpentine open pediment. Coping of
sides obscured by vegetation at time of survey.
Conservatory: cast-iron frame, with wood mullions on low stone
end walls, has hipped roof.
INTERIOR of house: open-well stair has turned balusters; hall
has high-quality chimney-piece and overmantel with low relief
Greek detail; common room has mahogany chimney-piece and
ceramic overmantel. Some panelling. Conservatory has stone
imperial stair to forebuilding, with stone balustrade, and
cherub lampholder on newel. Elaborate cast-iron brackets to
roof members. House wall within conservatory has reinforced
artificial stone grotto attached, with cavities and cusped
bowls interspersed with stalagmites and stalactites of the
same material.

Listing NGR: NZ3753552785

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Doxford House at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5303692

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

• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)