Woodside

This is a mansion dating to 1872, designed by Cattermole & Eade for J Limmer, with contributions from Bennetts (builders), Andrews of Ipswich (carpenters), and Bean & Co. It is constructed of white brick with slate roofs. The building is rectangular with projecting wings and bays and features rusticated quoins. It rises mainly to three storeys, with a two-storey wing to the north and a four-storey tower to the west. Windows are predominantly 1/1 horned sashes. Ground-floor and first-floor windows have stilted segmental arches; the ground-floor windows in the main block are triple-arched with central French windows. First-floor windows are paired, with balconies supported by brackets. The east front includes a two-storey entrance porch with a Corinthian portico. The west front has a tower topped by a heavy cornice resting on paired brackets, a parapet with circular openings, and ball finials. A stone frieze carved with elaborate vine ornamentation runs across the east, south, and west fronts, between the ground and first floors. The building has a heavy modillion eaves cornice and tall rectangular chimney stacks with recessed panels.

The interior remains virtually unaltered. The porch leads to a staircase hall featuring paired, unfluted columns and pilasters, painted to imitate marble, rising to Corinthian capitals. These capitals support moulded, four-centred arches spanning passages to the kitchens (west) and dining room and other rooms (north). The closed-string staircase has cast-iron balusters in the form of opposing scrolls, decorated with waterleaf nibs, and ramped handrails to turned newel posts with heavy finials. North and east passageways lead to various rooms via high-quality six-panelled doors, with moulded and eared surrounds crafted by Andrews of Ipswich. A cloakroom retains all original fittings, including a pair of sinks made by Bean & Co. Marble fire surrounds are present in the principal rooms. The drawing room contains dado panelling, a deep plaster coved cornice, and a ceiling border. This building is considered a good example of its period and is the only one of its kind remaining in Ipswich.