Elephant House

Elephant House is a house originally built as chambers for single men, now converted into three flats. It dates from around 1840 and is constructed of painted stock brick with a slate roof. The building features end chimney gables with corbelled kneelers on the front elevation, which also has a stepped brick cornice. It stands three storeys high and has three bays. The central bay contains a door in a plain reveal, which has a later wooden surround. All openings are topped with cambered brick arches, and the sash windows have delicate glazing bars, except for the centre bay on the first and second floors, which are casements. The interior has been recently converted; it previously contained three sets of chambers on either side of a central staircase. This building holds sociological interest as an early example of housing for single men, a type that became increasingly popular later in the 19th century, and it is a rare example of this type south of the River Thames.