Elston Towers

Elston Towers is a country house and terrace built in 1872 for Robert Middleton, with substantial interior work undertaken by Italian craftsmen. The building is constructed of yellow and red brick with ashlar stone, stucco, terracotta and decorative ironwork, with slate roofs and ornate iron ridge cresting.

The main west front is set on a plinth and presents a complex composition of single-storey bays with a two-storey central bay, arranged in five bays overall. The outer single bays project and are polygonal, topped with pyramidal roofs clad in fishscale slate and crowned with decorative iron lanterns. These bays have decorative iron eaves supported on decorative iron brackets and finished with a dentil eaves band. The central bay slightly projects and is gabled with ashlar coping, kneelers and the remains of a single finial, with a decorative iron band following the gable line. Two yellow brick chimney stacks flank the front, each with two decorative stucco shafts, with similar stacks to the rear having varying numbers of shafts.

A central projecting porch has a Tudor arched doorway with double pointed arched panelled door. The jambs and arch are decorated with stylised leaves and a central finial, with a moulded surround featuring decorative cusped panels in the spandrels. Above the doorway extends a raised band, a frieze of small inset terracotta panels decorated with fleuron motifs, a band of dentil ornament and a moulded cornice, all topped with decorative iron cresting. An ashlar stone inscribed "R.M. 1872" is positioned to the right of the porch. Two tall similar arched fixed lights with ashlar lintels flank the porch on the side walls. At the angles of the central bay and rising to the first floor are narrow decorative iron panels, each consisting of three vertically placed cusped blind arches topped with a single quatrefoil.

The flanking single bays contain single canted windows, each with two front sashes and single sashes to the sides, all Tudor arched with lateral glazing bars. Between each bay are wooden pilaster strips decorated with recessed pointed arched panels, each with a single central colonnette having acanthus capitals. The shaped flush brick lintels have ashlar blocks at the springing. Above runs a raised band, a band of billet ornament, a frieze of foliate decorated terracotta panels and a moulded cornice, these bands extending into the outer bays. The canted bays are topped with decorative iron cresting. The outer projecting bays each contain three similar sashes, each set into a recessed panel with raised brick quoins. Above each sash and supported on single crocket capitals is a hood mould, with cusped panels decorating the spandrels. Over the cornice band are single rectangular panels containing several small inset terracotta panels decorated with fleuron. The central bay has a single Tudor arched three-light window with intersecting tracery, lateral and lozenge glazing bars, a mask keystone, hood mould and decorative label stops. Above is a single rectangular panel with a single quatrefoil, and further above is a shield inscribed "R.M.".

The south side is single storey with attic, arranged in four bays. The band of billet, plain frieze and moulded cornice continue from the front elevation. Raised brick quoins mark the right angle. To the left is a single sash with surround corresponding to those of the polygonal bays. To the right is a smaller sash of similar design, followed further right by a doorway with a projecting twentieth-century wood and perspex lean-to porch. The inner part has a glazed door with surround and spandrel matching the west front doorway. On the far right is a further small sash. Above the porch is a gabled dormer with ashlar coping, a single decorative iron finial and a single Tudor arched sash with lateral glazing bars. Above this is a single fleuron decorated panel.

The north side is single storey with attic, arranged in five bays, with the band of billet, plain frieze and moulded cornice continuing from the west front. The left angle has raised brick quoins. A central doorway features a pointed arched panelled door with surround and spandrel matching the west front doorway. Either side are two sashes with surrounds corresponding to those of the polygonal bays. Above the doorway is a single dormer corresponding to that on the south side. Most sashes retain coloured glass in the lateral lights.

The rear or east elevation is mainly red brick with yellow brick and terracotta dressings. A single yellow brick chimney stack stands to the left, with five further stacks similar to those of the west front but with varying numbers of shafts. This elevation is two storeys with attic, arranged in ten bays. A large canted central bay features tall trefoil windows above a doorway. Various trefoil and Tudor arched windows are symmetrically placed, together with two ornate oriels on the first floor. First floor openings feature mask keystones.

The west and north fronts are set on a raised terrace with ashlar coping, yellow brick base and billet cornice. The west front of the terrace has a central projecting Tudor arched doorway with double pointed arched panelled door. Either side are single lancet windows, and further right and left stand single brick piers stepped in once, rising above the wall and coped with ashlar. Extending over the terrace wall and between these two piers is a decorative iron railing. Either side are sloping walls, each with a single recessed triangular panel and terminating in a similar smaller pier. Surmounting these walls are similar railings with stone steps behind, each with a small decorative iron gate at the top. The terrace extends behind the steps on both sides with raised brick quoins at the outer angles, similar piers and railings. Each section of wall between the piers contains a single Tudor arched panel with seven small diminishing shouldered arched openings. The north front of the terrace has a flight of ashlar steps descending from the doorway with a decorative small double iron gate and similar side walls and railings.

The south front has a buttressed wall with a central Tudor arched doorway featuring an iron hood mould and decorative label stops. The wall continues eastwards in red brick with ashlar coping and terminates in a single ashlar coped pier. A further similar pier forms a gateway, with the wall continuing eastwards to the separately listed coach house. The north side of this wall has several similar smaller pilasters.

The interior is richly decorated. Two outer octagonal rooms are lined from floor to ceiling with marble. Contrasting marble pilasters with ornate plaster capitals feature moulded square and shaped panels to the intervening walls. The wooden conical ceilings terminate in single glazed cupolas. Two similar inner square rooms have panelled coffered wooden ceilings, one also coved with gilded medallions. A central marble-lined hall with a gallery linking attic rooms features an ornate cast iron balustrade and Tudor arched doorways leading off. A quatrefoil frieze runs around this space, with four of the quatrefoil panels being larger and glazed with coloured lights. The timber roof is decorated at the east end with gilded stars. Most main rooms feature marble fireplaces and decorative panelled doors with original fittings to doors and windows.