24, PRIORY ROAD B15

PRIORY ROAD 1. 5104 Edgbaston B15 No 24 SP 0684 SW 52/8 14.2.79 II 2. Circa 1893-96. Architect J H Chamberlain for Mr Bunce. A substantial well built, red brick, stone dressed home of the late Birmingham Gothic school. The home is set back from the road with a carriage sweep and stands on 2 full storeys with attic floor in steep gable end. Clay tile roof with cresting tiles. Asymmetrical elevation with slight gabled break to right hand. Prominent red brick chimney stack, with splayed bases of tumbled brickwork. Typical high quality ornamental out brickwork to eaves. The principal and idiosyncratic feature of the front is a 1 fty, ashlar shafted and sharply bowed, oriel window and with wrought iron finialed tiled spirelet. Cusped stone panels to apron. The oriel is supported from the ground floor by a large cut stone corbel bracket with finely dressed and cut brickwork to the ledged squat buttress base. The rest of the fenestration is in the form of single or coupled sash windows with pointed arches and roll moulded brick edging to reveals; moulded impost string arched up over windows. The gabled break has an over arched pointed lunette in the cable with floral carved stone panels below sill. Canted bay window on ground floor. The porch abutts the break and has coupled shafts with stiff leaf caps, small pent roof created by quatrefoil iron flower guard to window above. To the left hand of the front the wall is blank with an external brick chimney stack. The garden front is more conventional with an off centre gable; similar window and brick detailing. Set back to the right of the front is short link to the former billiar room, partly obscured by later conservatory. The front elevation of the billiard room has an unexpectedly rich decorative treatment in the gable over the ground floor windows. The wall surface is dressed with marble tiles with decorated frieze and half quatrefoil containing a relief carving of herons flanked by rosettes. The interior retains dorrs and door furniture typical of Chamberlain but the panelling in the hall and on the staircase is principally of later date. The drawing room giving onto the rear garden has reset panelling. The house is a later work by Chamberlain and in the detailing of the window reveals gives some slight hint of "Cadogan Square" London influence in an otherwise wholly Birmingham design.

Listing NGR: SP0602284273