Ford Place And Attached Grotto

Ford Place is a house that has been converted into a residential home for the elderly. It was built in the early 19th century, with some additions made around 1860. The building is constructed of gault brick and features roofs made of black-glazed pantiles. The layout is a double-pile plan, and the house stands 2 to 3 storeys tall.

The north facade is irregular and consists of three distinct sections, each with different roof lines. The eastern part has a double-leaf glazed door set within a doorcase that features engaged reeded and fluted Ionic columns supporting a dentilled pediment. To the left of this door is a first-floor staircase window with 6/6 glazing bars and a rounded head. The windows throughout the building are generally 6/6 sashes with gauged skewback arches. The roofs are a mix of gabled and hipped styles, with multiple chimney stacks.

The south front displays a balanced asymmetry with two hipped elements that project forward on the right and left sides. The right element features a full-height canted bay, while the left has two hipped through-eaves dormers, likely added around 1860. Attached to the house on the west side is a single-storey grotto made of whole flints, which has three bays. This grotto includes a central pointed doorway flanked by pointed Y-tracery windows on either side.

Inside, the staircase dates from the mid-19th century and features two twisted balusters per tread along with a moulded handrail. The main rooms are adorned with dentil cornices and marble fireplaces, and the doors are six-panelled.