Dorset House

Dorset House is a pair of semi-detached villas, now functioning as a single dwelling, built around 1819 to 1824 with later additions and alterations, including its conversion to a single dwelling between 1880 and 1900. The building features a stucco exterior over brick, a hipped slate roof, and a tall central stuccoed chimney stack with an oversailing course and pots. The cast-iron verandah has been renewed.

The design is symmetrical and Classical, with the main facade facing the garden to the west. The house has two storeys, with attics at the rear, and four first-floor windows complemented by rear and side extensions. Notable stucco details include full-height Doric pilasters at both ends and a pair in the center. The first floor has 6/6 sash windows set in plain reveals with sills, while the ground floor features six-pane French windows with divided overlights and sidelights. The rear and side extensions also have 6/6 sash windows.

The entrance on the south (right) side has a six-raised-and-fielded-panel door with a fanlight and decorative glazing bars, while the rear entrance consists of a renewed panelled door in a cambered surround. The rear retains 6/6 and 3/3 sash windows in cambered-arched surrounds, and the attic features dormers with 3/3 sash windows.

Inside, the property retains stucco cornices and ceiling friezes, along with four-panel doors and fluted architraves.

Historically, the Lark Hill development was planned to be much larger, including terraces and a crescent. The villas at Nos 30-50 (even) and Woodside on Lark Hill Road form a cohesive group, and No. 42 was previously listed as No. 3 Larkhill Road.