Doxford House with conservatory

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