Guise House

Guise House is a small country house dating from the early 18th century, with extensions added in the 19th century, built on the site of an earlier structure. It was used as the Classical Academy from the early 18th century until 1845. The house is constructed of red and grey brick in a header bond, with the main façade in dark vitrified brick, accented with red dressings. It is topped by hipped clay tile roofs. The house is arranged in a T-plan. The main block, originally facing the Bedford Road, is two storeys and has attics, with a two-storey block projecting to the west and a two-span roof.

The east elevation has a symmetrical three-bay facade, with the central bay slightly projecting. It features flush sash windows with glazing bars and brick heads; the first-floor central window is round-arched, with moulded timber impost bands and a keyblock, while the others are square-headed. Simple brick aprons are found beneath the first-floor windows. A central dormer contains a Venetian window. A central doorway is approached by a flight of stone steps and has a moulded architrave surround topped by a pediment hood on console brackets, with a part-glazed door. The central bay contains an open pediment, with a round-arched window breaking through into the tympanum. The eaves have a moulded brick dentil cornice, and the wall is finished with a stone coped parapet.

A 19th-century two-storey block adjoins the right-hand side, constructed of red brick with a clay tile roof, and featuring irregular window placement. Adjacent to this block and extending approximately 40 metres eastwards is an 18th-century brick garden wall, built of red and grey brick with pilaster strips at regular intervals. The west elevation is less regular, with a variety of window openings, mostly sashes with glazing bars. Doorways are located on the west and east sides of the projecting block. The western doorway has a panelled door under a flat hood with ornamental cut brackets; the eastern doorway has a ribbed surround with paterae, and a flat cornice hood. Both have stone coped parapets, the parapet of the projecting block being shaped at the ends. Brick dentil eaves cornices are present. The main block has two substantial chimney stacks where it joins the projecting block, while the projecting block features a multiple ridge stack.

The interior has been reworked in the 19th century and is rather plain.