Description

SU 67 NW BASILDON READING ROAD (north-east side)

2/1 The Grotto
14.4.67
II

House, now college. Late C18 with C19 additions to rear. White painted
brick with plinth and plat bands. Coped parapets to hipped slate roofs,
lower over flanking wings, with truncated end stack to left, truncated
ridge stack off-centre to right, and stack to rear. Central block of 3
storeys and 3 bays, flanking projecting lower wings of 3 storeys and 2
bays, linked to central block by quadrant corners. Centre block: glazing
bar sashes with exposed wooden boxes and jalousies ground floor glazing
bar removed. C19 four-panelled door with overlight to far left. Left
hand wing: glazing bars sashes, 2 on second floor, and one to left on first
and ground floors. Glazing bar sash on ground and first floor of quadrant.
Right-hand wing: blank window to left on first and second floor, ground
floor blank window to right. Half glazed door to left, doorcase with
panelled reveals, attached Ionic columns supporting open triangular pediment
with eagle in tympanum. Interior: octagonal inner hall with niches and
delicate plasterwork. C18 fireplaces in ground floor rooms. B.O.E, Berkshire,
p.78.

Listing NGR: SU6004079504

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26578711

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

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
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  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)