Kings Willow

Kings Willow is a private detached house built in 1939, designed in the Modern Movement style by Bill Dyson of the architectural practice Dyson and Hebeler.

The building is constructed of brick with the north and east elevations painted white. It has a flat roof covered with concrete slab. The rectangular plan comprises two storeys with a single-storey range to the west. The design emphasises horizontality through flat facing brickwork and ribbon glazing at ground and first floor levels. Original metal-framed casement windows survive throughout, including a full-height curved landing window and round porthole windows on the principal north elevation. The original front door and secondary door survive on the north façade, with a further door on the west elevation providing garden access. The facing brickwork is plain, with detailing limited to simple concrete hood moulds above the windows and concrete slab canopies over the front and rear doors.

At ground floor, a rectangular entrance hall features a semi-circular staircase rising to the first floor landing. A corridor from the hall leads west to a day nursery, while to the south lie a large sitting room and smaller dining room with curved internal wall. The kitchen and pantry are accessed from the east side of the hall, with a WC positioned in the north-west corner. Many original fixtures and fittings survive including hardwood floors, internal doors and light fittings. A notable feature is an original fireplace in the nursery with stylised Egyptian design and green marble surround. The hall retains a servants' bell and room indicator board.

The first floor contains a large central landing with full-height curved window above the stair. Eight bedrooms of varying sizes are accessed either from the landing or via a corridor on the west side. The master bedroom on the south side has an ensuite bathroom and balcony overlooking the garden. A family bathroom is located on the east side of the landing. Original fixtures and fittings survive throughout the first floor including internal doors, sinks, baths with original taps, and an original spiral stair with marble treads, original balustrade and moulded handrail.

The house was originally known as Wheatfield House and was built for a private client. Bill Dyson was a well-known local architect who designed other modernist houses across the county and the ADC theatre in Cambridge. He also served as Head of the Faculty of Architecture at Cambridge during the early 1950s. The property originally included a 1500-acre farm, which was separated from the house when it was sold in 1953.

An ornamental pool is located in the rear garden, and a detached double garage stands at the north-east corner of the site.