Walden Place

Walden Place is a large house, built in the mid-18th century. It has been divided into retirement apartments and sheltered accommodation and extended in the 20th century. The house is constructed of red brick with some stucco dressings and has a clay tiled roof. It is rectangular in plan, but with a 20th-century wing projecting from the NW corner.

The S elevation, which is the front of the house, has five bays and a parapet with recessed panels and a stucco cornice. A central doorway is approached by steps and has a Doric style surround, including a pediment, triglyph frieze, and fluted pilasters, with a rusticated stucco doorcase. The door itself has eight panels, all now glazed. The windows are sash windows and have rubbed brick voussoirs shaped to a central keystone. The ground floor windows have 3x5 panes, the first floor windows 3x4 panes, and the second floor windows 3x2 panes. The central windows on the first floor have ‘eared’ architraves, while those on the second floor are ‘shouldered’ with a keystone and consoles below the sills. The roof is hidden by the parapet but comprises three hipped sections parallel to the frontage, with stacks at the E and W ends.

The N elevation at the rear of the house has five windows and is somewhat irregular, including an external stack to the W. The ground floor windows have two 3x4 panes, the first floor has five 3x4 panes, and the second floor has three 3x2 panes. A 20th-century addition is located on the W end of the ground floor. The W side elevation is four storeys high (including the side of the cellars) and has four bays. Some first-floor windows are blind, with painted glazing. There are two blocked cellar windows, one now with louvred screens, and a 20th-century louvred door. The E side has three storeys and three windows. A round-headed stair window with radial glazing is positioned centrally on the first floor, flanked by two 'Venetian' style windows with 2x4 panes. The second floor windows have a mix of 2x2 and 3x2 panes. The roof structure is visible, with a stack to the S.

The interior includes an original open string, dogleg staircase with three turned balusters per tread, turned newel posts, and a wreathed handrail. There is also an original closed string, dogleg back staircase with turned balusters. A round arched entry leads to the passageway at the base of the principal staircase, and features a moulded surround with a shell decorated keystone. A number of original panelled doors and two ceilings with plastered cornices remain; one is reeded with roundels, and the other features oak leaf and acorn decoration. The cellars have brick floors.