82 St Bernard's Road

82 St Bernard's Road

A dwelling and coach house built in 1898, designed by Wood and Kendrick and altered in the late 20th century. The building is constructed of brick with partly rendered first-floor sections, timber cladding, and some hung tiles. The roof is covered with clay tiles.

The building is linear in plan with its principal façade facing west and the former coach house situated to the north east. The architecture is Domestic Revival in style with Arts and Crafts influences. The central range has a steeply pitched hipped roof with gable roof ranges to the north and south, creating gables that face the street. These gables are partly rendered with cladding giving the effect of timber framing. The southern gable features decorative scallop clay tiles at first-floor level, below the rendering.

The principal entrance is off-centre and features a two-storey brick porch with stone dressings. The porch projects slightly from the façade to the north and has a moulded stone parapet with curved pediment. The entrance itself is set under a stone arch with carved spandrels and a carved frieze above. Above the entrance is a stone mullion and transom window with leaded lights and stained glass that illuminates the principal staircase within.

Directly to the north of the entrance a large brick chimney stack projects from the roof. Beneath the stack at first-floor level the building is rendered with two window openings containing original timber frames and sills supported by brackets. Below this, the building is exposed brick with a large window opening to the north with timber frame and a single light opening to the south. To the north is a slightly set-back timber-clad gable with a single window opening at both ground and first-floor levels. To the south of the principal entrance a larger gable contains a large bay window at ground floor with timber casements with overlights of six panes. The bay window is topped with a timber balustrade. A large tripartite first-floor window has original timber sashes matching others throughout the building, with multi-pane top lights. To the north of the principal building is the entrance to the former coach house, featuring a window opening under a small gable roof. A timber door under a semi-circular brick arch is at ground floor, with the coach house having a decorative curved parapet with stone dressings.

The rear (east) elevation faces over the garden and features an octagonal tower at the centre topped by a leaded domed roof. The tower has decorative curved parapet walling beneath the domed roof and bay windows situated on both floors with stone mullions and transoms. The rest of the elevation matches the form of the principal façade with gables to the north and south. To the north of the tower the building has irregular fenestration, with the smaller gable in brick and a small section of timber cladding at the apex. To the south are two large window openings on both ground and first floors, with the larger gable rendered. The south gable has French doors leading to the garden and further openings to either side with timber sashes. At first floor the gable contains another window with timber sashes. To the very south of the elevation is a further sash window on each floor with very slim lights.

The south elevation has a large brick stack to the right (east) with an additional brick stack projecting from the roof to the left. To the left of the full-height brick stack the building is tiled at first floor with some timber cladding under the eaves and a single tall window opening with original timber frame. Below, the building is exposed brick. To the right of the stack the building is rendered at first floor with brick below a moulded string course.

The north elevation is occupied by the former coach house, which is single-storey and has a cupola at the east end with an ogee leaded roof. Beyond the coach house, the main dwelling has a large brick chimney stack on this elevation.

Internally, the principal entrance opens to a large entrance hall with the principal stair situated to the west of the room. The stair is open tread with carved newel posts and timber rail. Beneath the stair, timber panelling encloses an entrance porch with an original internal timber door with stained glass and glazed overlight above. To the north is a small under-stairs area accessed through an arch in the timber panelling. The entrance hall has a tiled floor, with the stair window above having a timber architrave. To the south of the hall are two reception rooms. The room to the east faces over the garden and contains an original fireplace situated within a recess under a large timber three-centred arch with carved keystone detailing. The fireplace has a carved timber surround with projecting over-mantle. The room has a dado rail with panelling below and a decorative plaster ceiling in geometric design. An additional reception room to the west contains a fireplace with timber surround and over-mantle. This room also has panelling below dado height and plaster cornicing.

At first floor the principal stair opens to a large landing with a carved timber panel at the centre of the ceiling. An arch at the north end of the landing leads to some of the building's bedrooms, with further plaster cornicing and surviving stained glass on this level.