The Dower House And Wall To Garden Attached

TL 32 NE WESTMILL KNIGHTS HILL (east side)

2/26 The Dower House and Wall to Garden attached -

GV II

2 houses joined as a country house. Late C17 incorporating 2 C16 separate houses, subsequently enlarged in C18, altered in C19, enlarged to almost square plan by Raymond Erith in 1960's. C17/C18 square walled garden on S now attached to house. Red brick with blue headers encasing timber framed parts. Old red tile hipped roofs with moulded wooden eaves cornice on W, and high parapet with attic windows, and gabled roofs behind, on E side. 2 storeys and attics main block linked by single-storey part to walled garden on S. Facing W. The present rectangular large house is composed of a C16 T-plan house on the SE, of hall and parlour block, extending N from the walled garden: a C16 central chimney 2-cell house a little to NW of the other: a C17 small block linking the two with stair and service rooms: an early C18 grander stair block in the NE angle: a larger extension to NE in 1960's by Raymond Erith making the house rectangular and providing a unified garden facade on the E. W front in old red brick with floor band has a formerly symmetrical 3-windows LH part with central door into lobby by central chimney with tall cruciform shaft. Slightly recessed sash windows with 6/6 panes and flat gauged arches 2 on ground floor to left of door. Doorcase flanked by broad fluted Doric pilasters with triglyph frieze breaking forward over each and flat leaded cornice. Half- glazed panelled door in moulded frame. 2-bay C19 extension to RH of uniform height but with hipped dormer, and casement windows set lower. N end of NE part has a more elaborate C17 treatment with ovolo-moulded floorband, chamfered plinth and no eaves cornice, central hipped dormer with cornice, flush box sash window on 1st floor and blocked window below. Darker red brick 5 windows, 2-storeys and attic E front in churchwarden'sGothick with stucco quoins, floor band, moulded parapet coping, surrounds to 3 oval attic windows, and classical moulded surrounds to central double glazed doors and flanking narrow windows. Delicate panelled surrounds with lion-mask corner blocks to boxes of recessed sash windows with 6/6 panes. Windows grouped 2-1-2 each with brick labels. Central doors have a stucco entablature and the glazed panels have ogee glazing bars. Side windows have pointed heads to upper lights. Large external chimney with offsets to N end. Radial glazing bars to attic windows. 3m high red brick wall with buttresses surrounds the walled garden on all sides and there is a pedimented doorway into the house. Urns on corner piers. Interior largely remodelled. Stop chamfered beam in passage to library. Early C18 panelling on ground floor in NW part. Formerly called Knights Hill. (RCHM Typescript).

Listing NGR: TL3720825574