Belair

Belair is a villa built in 1785, now used for recreational purposes. It underwent significant rebuilding in 1964 by Southwark Borough Council. The exterior is cement rendered with a low-pitched, hipped slate roof behind a parapet. The building has two storeys and a basement, with three bays. It features a frieze, a dentil cornice, and a parapet. The central bay slightly projects and is pedimented, flanked by two pairs of giant pilasters with paterae in their capitals, with similar pilasters at the outer angles of the front elevation. The broad round-arched doorway has double doors topped with a cornice head, a radial fanlight, and sidelights, with a wrought-iron lamp holder above. The flat-arched sash windows, which have glazing bars, have been replaced, with the central window on the first floor being bipartite. The rear elevation includes a full-height three-bay bow at the centre, with a projecting basement featuring rusticated pilaster strips that form a terrace for the main floor. This terrace is supported by a screen of four Ionic columns and cast-iron railings, leading to a balustraded balcony on the first floor. Inside, the villa is believed to have an original circular staircase with a cast-iron patterned balustrade and one original fireplace. The three-bay returns have one-storey bows at the centre. The villa is now associated with a public park that once served as its grounds, providing recreational facilities and changing rooms.