Alvaston Ashley Kermincham Somerford The Cedars

The Cedars, now divided into the houses Kermincham, Somerford, Ashley, and Alvaston, is a large villa dating from around 1850, originally designed by J E Gregan. A billiard room was added in 1907. The building is constructed of cream-coloured brick in a Flemish bond pattern, with buff sandstone dressings and a Welsh slate roof, featuring four brick chimneys. It is an example of the Italianate style. The original front comprises two storeys and four bays. It has a low plinth with stone moulding, a stone band at the first floor level, and a modillion cornice. The end bays feature sash windows without glazing bars; the lower window in each bay projects forward with a flat, gauged head and a flat stone hood. A similar window above is set within an eared architrave topped with a triangular pediment. A detached stone Ionic porch supports a balcony, accessed by a four-panelled door and a plain fanlight. There are paired round-headed windows above and in the adjacent bay. To the right is a three-bay extension, the billiard room, and behind the main house is a four-stage belvedere. Ashley house retains a converted hall, with a blocked arcade of semi-circular arches featuring moulded soffits and a domical vault with moulded panels. The remainder of the interior was not inspected, but most fireplaces and the staircase have been removed.