The Holme

The Holme is a villa dating to around 1819, designed by Decimus Burton for his father, the builder, and representing one of his earliest works. It was constructed as part of the Regent’s Park Crown Estate development overseen by John Nash, and is among the least altered of the surviving villas in the park. The building is constructed of stucco with a slate roof, and displays a Graeco-Roman design inspired by Nash’s aesthetic. It has two storeys over a basement, and is five windows wide with extensions to the left and right.

The east-facing entrance front features a tetrastyle Corinthian portico that rises directly from the ground, concealing an architraved doorway with consoled detailing, flanked by windows. The outer bays feature architraved sashes, with cornices resting on consoles to the ground floor. A modillion cornice runs along the top of the building, supporting a balustraded parapet and a pediment above the portico. The west front, which faces a lake, is characterised by a central, tripartite, pillared bow window. A cast iron guard rail with a geometric pattern surrounds the area on the entrance front. The Holme retains its original grounds and a lawn that slopes down to the lake, offering a close approximation of the Italianate landscape setting intended for the park's villas.