5-11, Ranston Street

1900/0/10341 RANSTON STREET 08-OCT-03 5-11

GV II 5-11 (Consecutive) RANSTON STREET, LISSON GROVE, WESTMINSTER

Model cottages. c.1895. Elijah Hoole for Octavia Hill, and still owned by the Octavia Housing Trust. Red brick, mostly rendered to first floor with hung clay tiles between floors, wooden sashes and plank doors. Tiled pitched and gabled roofs. Brick chimneys to valleys. EXTERIORS: Named 'St. Botolph Cottages 1895' on plaque to No.8. Each cottage 2 storeys with gabled dormer to attic with single central light. Between each cottage, a short brick party wall with alternate taller brick chimneys behind. Group of 3 short sashes to centre of first floor, above tile-hung band between storeys, and taller group of 3 sashes to ground floor off-set by side plank door and overlight. INTERIORS: Not inspected. SUBSIDIARY: Each house has individual small front yard with iron railings. Ranston Street is paved with granite sets and lined with large cut granite curb. HISTORY: These houses are part of a group that replaced the notorious 'Marylebone fever dens' that lined what was known as Charles Street until renamed, perhaps by Octavia Hill, in the late-1890s. Eliza Armstrong, a 13-year old daughter of a chimney sweep who lived with her family at No.32 Charles Street was the subject of the 1885 sensational trial when she was allegedly bought by the journalist W.T. Stead. The houses that replaced these were in the picturesque style favoured by Octavia Hill and favourite architect Elijah Hoole.

Group value with Nos. 21-26, 27-31, 32-37 on the west side of Ranston Street.

Listed as complete examples of attractive late-C19 model cottages that were built for the nationally important housing reformer, Octavia Hill (1838-1915) and designed by Elijah Hoole.