Nos 38 And 40 With Attached Boundary Walls And Piers And Gates And Railings To No 38

This is a pair of semi-detached villas with attached boundary walls, piers, gates, and railings, dating from approximately 1819-24. Later additions and alterations were made, including a rear range built between 1836 and 1899, and the boundary walls themselves. The villas are constructed with stucco over brick, featuring concealed roof stacks with renewed oversailing courses. A timber verandah with a slate roof is also present, along with red brick walls, painted ashlar piers, and cast-iron railings and gates.

Originally designed as L-plan villas with service ranges to the rear, some of these rear areas have since been infilled. The symmetrical, Classical design faces the garden, with a three-story facade featuring four first-floor windows. The central section is emphasized by Doric pilasters extending the full height of the buildings and a central, full-height, round-arched recess. A continuous frieze, cornice, and blocking course run along the facade. The first floor originally featured 6/6 sash windows, though some have been replaced with 1/1 horned sashes. The second floor originally had 3/3 sash windows. Ground-floor windows are mostly original 6/6 sashes, with a verandah on the left side. A full-height bow window with 6/6 and 3/3 sashes, curved in section, is located on the left return.

The main entrance to No. 38 is on the north (left) return, featuring steps leading to a part-glazed door with a fielded panel, a fanlight with “V” glazing bars, and a tooled timber doorcase with roundels. The entrance to No. 40 is now at the rear (east) and comprises a part-glazed door within a fluted timber doorcase with a cornice. The rear elevations retain original 6/6 and 8/8 sash windows where present.

The interior of the buildings has not been inspected.

The north boundary wall is coped and includes pilaster buttresses and a modillion frieze. Two piers, square in plan, feature panelled shafts and peaked caps. The wall extends approximately 50 metres in length and stands 2 metres high. The railings atop a low coped wall continue along the west boundary and incorporate ornate finials, with a renewed gate.

The villas are part of the Lark Hill development, conceived around 1819-24 to include terraces and a crescent, although this vision was not fully realised. Nos. 38 to 50 (even) and Woodside, Lark Hill Road form a group. Historically, No. 38 was listed as No. 1 and No. 40 as No. 2 Larkhill Road.