6 Gainsborough Gardens

6 Gainsborough Gardens

Number 6 Gainsborough Gardens is a detached villa built in 1885 by HS Legg for Thomas Clifford, the leaseholder, as part of the development of Gainsborough Gardens between 1882 and 1895. The house was subsequently divided into flats but was restored to a single dwelling in the mid-1990s.

Construction and Materials

The ground floor and chimneys are built of red brick, whilst the first floor is tile hung with alternating bands of plain and dentilled tiles. The roofs are covered with plain tiles. Architectural dressings comprise red sandstone, red brick, plaster and pebbledash render, and applied timber framing. The windows are timber casements, some with finely moulded architraves.

Form and Layout

The building has three asymmetrical bays, with the entrance positioned centrally between two outer gabled bays that project forward. It rises to three storeys plus attics. The lower storey forms a semi-basement at the front but sits at ground level at the rear. Tall external chimney stacks, simply detailed, frame the building at the sides and rear.

Front Elevation

Tiled steps enclosed by brick parapet walls with stone copings lead up to a timber porch beneath a single tiled roof. The porch features a broad arched opening on turned shafts with moulded spandrels to the archway. To the left stands a tripartite window with small panes to the side lights and smaller panes to the fanlight, beneath a deep moulded cornice. Under the porch is a tripartite pedimented window set in a moulded architrave, again with small panes to the side lights. All contain coloured glass, some replaced during the mid-1990s refurbishment. A pair of doors sits beneath a plain overlight; the lower section of each door has a raised and fielded panel, whilst the upper panels are glazed with replacement glass.

The first-floor tripartite window has a two-light central section, all with small panes. Its architrave features a deep moulded frieze and small feet, above which runs a continuous scroll moulded cornice. The three-light attic dormer has a small pediment above the central light, with the upper section of each light divided into small panes.

The left-hand gabled bay projects forward with a further canted bay to the ground floor and basement, articulated by moulded stone bands. These windows have stone dressings. Those in the basement feature upper small panes, whilst those at ground floor are single-paned. The iron balustrade to the flat roof forms a balcony for the first-floor room, which has a four-light mullion and transom timber window with plain lights. The gable breaks forward, supported on moulded timber brackets, and is rendered with applied timber framing on a brattished base. A tripartite casement has small paned upper lights set in a moulded architrave with a dentil cornice. The eaves have simple moulded bargeboards.

The right-hand gabled bay has a similar ground floor and basement arrangement. The first floor extends over the bay, forming a tile hung skirt to the first-floor window which wraps around the bay, supported on moulded stone corbels. The bay is filled by a timber framed window of six mullion and transom lights across the front and one to each return, all with plain glazing. The gable advances further, supported on timber brackets, and is decorated with tile hanging in alternating plain and dentilled bands. The window comprises four lights with heavy moulded glazing bars and small panes in the upper section. The eaves have simple moulded bargeboards.

Side and Rear Elevations

The first-floor tile hanging wraps around the left and right returns. The tall external stacks are plainly treated until triple vertical moulded strips which rise from eaves level to the caps. The stacks link to the main roof with lower tiled bridges and have moulded collars and caps. There is a tall narrow round-headed alcove to the rear of the right-hand stack. The left-hand stack bears a small pedimented first-floor window and gabled attic floor window. The south-east angle has a gabled first-floor bay over a canted ground floor. This bay has a timber balcony with moulded balustrade and shafts supporting a rendered gable with applied timber facing and deep moulded eaves. Behind this is a large window opening onto the terrace.

The asymmetrical rear elevation, designed to be seen from Christchurch Hill, has a right-hand bay in brick with a tall external stack treated the same as the side stacks, breaking through the apex, and also featuring a shield. The lower left-hand bay has a rendered upper floor and gable with applied timber facing.

Interior Features

The vestibule and hall have polychrome tile floors. The vestibule windows are glazed in coloured glass, some replaced in the mid-1990s. A central figure carries a plaque inscribed "Gainsborough House". There is a small alcove opposite the entrance.

A fine open well closed string stair rises from the hall to the attics. The soffit is panelled with moulded ribs. Turned balusters are linked by moulded brackets (also used at Numbers 7 and 8). Newels have square bases and turned shafts with moulded finials and drop finials. The finials to the lower flight are gadrooned, with a moulded polished handrail. The basement stair is similar but with smaller mouldings, some elements replaced.

The dining room has a rectangular-panelled ceiling with moulded ribs, whilst the drawing room ceiling is similar with lozenge panels. The dining room features a very fine mottled dark-grey marble chimneypiece with hefty polished brackets, and a cast-iron fireplace with fine polychrome glazed tiles depicting flowers. The study chimneypiece is in moulded dark-grey streaked marble and also has a cast-iron fireplace with rust red and ochre tiles depicting fruits.

The drawing room windows have side lights with grisaille glass. Coloured glass appears in the cloakroom windows. All ground floor doors are six-panel with fretted brass door furniture. The basement chimneypiece is in grey marble with a cast-iron fireplace and pomegranate tile slips. A first-floor grey marble chimneypiece has a cast-iron fireplace with yellow floral tile slips and hearth. Deep window mouldings are particularly noticeable in the attic rooms where the panes are small, concentrating the light. Upper floor doors are four-panel.

Historical Context

Gainsborough Gardens was laid out between 1882 and 1895 on land belonging to the Wells and Campden Charity Trust. Plots were developed speculatively under the close scrutiny of the Trust and their Surveyor HS Legg. The development adopted the newly-heralded ethos demonstrated at Bedford Park, Chiswick, developed from 1875, where different styles of building cohere informally in a planned, leafy environment. EJ May, recently appointed as principal architect at Bedford Park, designed the first building, Numbers 3 and 4 Gainsborough Gardens, in 1884. Both architecturally and historically, this was a significant step in changing attitudes towards the emerging suburbs.

This development is set against the background of efforts to limit expansion onto Hampstead Heath and the preservation of Parliament Hill Fields, an achievement attributed to CE Maurice who built and lived at Number 9A. He was married to the sister of Octavia Hill, philanthropist and founder of the National Trust.

The history of Gainsborough Gardens is prominent in the protection of open spaces, particularly in Hampstead where the seeds of national awareness were sown. The whole scheme and individual houses are well documented, providing an important record of the development of the Gardens. The outcome is a scheme of significant historic and architectural importance and particular aesthetic quality, based on a fine balance between building and open space, both of which survive almost intact.