Walsingham Cottage and Attached Walls, Gatepiers, Steps and Gates, Chislehurst, London

Description

785/0/10133
27-JUL-06

MANOR PARK
Chislehurst
Walsingham Cottage and attached walls, gatepiers, steps and gates

Cottage, originally chauffeur's cottage. Built in 1910 by Frederick Harrild (1882-1969). Arts and Crafts style. Red brick, varied with random purple bricks, in Flemish bond with plain clay tiled hipped roofs with two large multi-flue Elizabethan style chimneys with diagonally-placed stacks One storey and attics, irregular fenestration. The original windows survive with oak sub-framing with quarry-glazed cast iron casements with original ironmongery and original oak external doors. The window and door openings retain tiled cills and tiled lintels. The original dormers remain intact with small plain clay tile hipped roof and tile-hung cheeks. A very unusual construction detail is the brickwork soffits to the overhanging eaves.

PLAN: Unusual L-shaped plan with entrance to north, curved wall to south west, with enclosed garden and wall to south east linking to outbuildings in kitchen yard to south.

EXTERIOR: The north or entrance front is at right angles to the road. There are three hipped dormers, a left side four-light mullioned window and a right side doorcase set in a large glazed surround of two tiers with four lights above and two lights below and oak plank door. The east side which faces the road has two hipped dormers, a small single mullion set high in the wall next to a central circular stone plaque with the motto "Respice Finem" and the date 1910 inscribed over a floral motif. To the right is a mid C20 wooden four-light canted bay with leaded lights. Atttached to the south is a high section of brick walling with hipped tiled coping which incorporates a round-headed opening with round-headed three plank door with studs and original ironmongery leading to the kitchen yard. The south east side has a tripartite mullioned window linked to a painted oak three plank door with studs and original ironmongery. The kitchen yard comprised a one storey painted brick WC and coal store with central round-headed brick arch flanked by plank doors with rectangular fanlights with leaded lights, linked to the main house by a paved yard and semi-circular steps. The south west side is curved in shape with one hipped dormer to the right, a four-light mullioned window to the left and in the centre a round-headed window and a door opening, both with stone impost blocks with leaded light casement and plank door. This front has high brick walls with hipped tiled coping to the north west and south west sides enclosing a small garden courtyard. Attached to the south end of the east front is a low brick terrace wall extending north eastwards to the boundary, incorporating an entrance with original wooden two-panelled gate with depressed arch and closely spaced diamond-shaped mullions to the upper panel. A flight of stone steps and paved path leading from this gate in a south easterly direction connects with the south eastern boundary wall to the property fronting the road. This comprises a low brick retaining wall, battered to the base, with stone coping which has two tall square brick gatepiers with stone coping and identical two-panelled wooden gate.

INTERIOR: The staircase-hall has an impressive dogleg staircase with stick balusters, moulded mahogany handrail and upper gallery. The south east ground floor room, formerly the kitchen, has a central spine beam, double and single high level round-headed alcoves in the east wall and cambered fireplace with solid oak shelf above, copper hood and zigzag tiled surround. The north western room has a central brick fireplace with cambered arch of tiles on edge with tile on edge impost blocks and herringbone brick hearth flanked by round-headed arches, the right hand one with shelving and cupboards, the left forming a surround over a two-panelled door. The south eastern room, formerly the scullery, later the kitchen, retains an original fire surround. The ground floor bathroom is constructed out of the original larder. The upper floor has a corridor with curved staircase gallery and a number of doorcases with shouldered architraves and two-panelled doors, the upper panels octagonal in shape. There were originally three bedrooms, one later converted into a bathroom, each having a narrow wooden fireplace with cast iron firegrate.

HISTORY: The original plans of 1909 show that Walsingham Cottage, together with its retaining walls and garden gates, was specifically built as a cottage for a chauffeur at Walsingham for Horton Harrild Esq. by Frederick Harrild of 10 Grays Inn Place. Walsingham was a large detached house to the south of red brick in Queen Anne style built in 1874 by George Somers Leigh Clarke. Between 1910 and 1937 Walsingham was owned by Horton Harrild Esq., who is likely to have been related to the architect, but not his father, who was also called Frederick. Frederick Harrild junior was a pupil of and assistant to Edwin Lutyens from 1908 and the architect of the terraced walls and garden buildings at Castle Tor, Torquay (listed grade II). This is his earliest work in Chislehurst and it may have been his first proper commission.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: Walsingham Cottage is a purpose-built chauffeur's cottage of 1910 in Arts and Crafts style designed by Frederick Harrild, a pupil of Edwin Lutyens. It is built of high quality Flemish bond brickwork, varied with random purple bricks, and features large multiflue chimneys and hipped dormers, as well as the original oak windows with quarry-glazed cast iron casements that have original ironmongery. Unusual construction details include the brickwork soffits to the overhanging eaves and the octagonal panels to the first floor doors. It has an unusual plan with curved north western wall with enclosed garden courtyard and kitchen yard. It is intact externally apart from one window enlargement in matching style in the east side and the interior retains all original doors, fireplaces and an imposing staircase. It qualifies for listing grade II for its special architectural merit as a good quality and little altered Arts and Crafts cottage by a pupil of the major Arts and Crafts architect Lutyens which is also a particularly early and unusual purpose-built motor house in type, size and quality.

External Links

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