Debden Hollow, Together With The Retaining Walls, Steps And Raised Flower Beds To The East Of The House And Swimming Pool, Steps And Retaining Wall To The West

Debden Hollow is a private house designed in 1966–67 by Robert Harvey and built in 1969. It stands on land formerly part of the gardens of the Victorian house Barford Hill, which was demolished in the mid-twentieth century. The site was commissioned by Mr and Mrs Povey, who engaged the practice of Yorke, Harper and Harvey, with Robert Harvey heading the Stratford-on-Avon office.

The house is constructed of concrete and red brick laid in stretcher bond, with a steel frame to the upper body and a felted flat roof. It is oriented north to south to take advantage of views over the garden to the east and the river Avon to the west.

The building is arranged in two principal parts. To the north is a two-storey block containing an L-shaped living space and kitchen at first floor level, with a continuous balcony to three sides, positioned above a large car port and ground floor housing a utility room, bedroom and bathroom. To the south is a mezzanine bedroom wing, partially buried in the sloping ground, which contains two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a dressing room and the entrance hall.

Externally, the lower body is of brick, while the upper portion is of rendered concrete and steel with deep eaves and prominent fascia boards, all painted white. The entrance front faces east. At the left is the recessed mezzanine bedroom block with the entrance, approached by steps with brick walling. Bedroom windows are horizontal. The two-storey block has a wide car port exiting on both sides. A ground floor block projects forward with a horizontal slit window at the top. Above this, the first floor living room and kitchen feature large plate glass windows divided by slender mullions. The balcony has a wooden rail with iron supports on the left, while to the right a solid balustrade projects out in front of the kitchen, creating a breakfast area. The west front is similar, with a garden room, added to Harvey's designs in the 1975, fronting the bedroom wing with plate glass windows and slender mullions. In front of this, at a lower level, is a swimming pool added in the 1970s, approached from the garden room by cantilevered stairs set in a brick retaining wall which encompasses the southern end of the pool and its flagged surround. Further steps lead up from the car port. To the left, the ground floor block is fronted by a conservatory added after 1981 with a mono-pitch roof. The north front has a glazed door approached by steps with wooden hand rail.

Internally, the external walls to either side of the living room and to the west side of the adjoining dining area are formed by floor-to-ceiling plate glass panes without horizontal division. Vertical divisions are minimal, with corner glazing similarly handled. At the centre of the living area is a sunken ceiling panel with a sliding hatch above which there was formerly a skylight now removed. A fireplace with plain marble surround is prominently positioned in the living area. The bedroom corridor has a bank of cupboard and wardrobe space along the west wall. Bathroom furniture and tiling in the ground floor rooms correspond to the architect's original 1969 drawings, as do window and door furniture throughout. The house includes original built-in features: a centralised vacuum cleaning system with a pump in the ground floor boiler room and outlets to skirting boards, and a central heating system with vents for warm air set low in dividing walls.

The swimming pool and associated enclosing walls and steps were added in the 1970s to Harvey's designs. The garden room was designed by Harvey in 1975. The house was sold in 1981 to the current owners, who added the conservatory at ground floor level on the west side, which is not included in this listing.

Retaining walls, steps and raised flower beds to the east of the house and swimming pool, steps and retaining wall to the west form part of this designation.