142, Slough Lane

This detached house was designed in 1921-22 by E G Trobridge. It is a unique example of his "Compressed Green Elmwood" construction, a method he devised following the First World War to address housing shortages and provide employment for returning servicemen. The structure is timber framed with boarded exterior, retaining some of the original bark, and has a thatched roof with cresting and two brick stacks. The design is picturesque yet maintains a near-symmetrical plan, featuring a central staircase and a rear kitchen with a slightly later, sympathetic lean-to extension.

The front elevation is deliberately low, with an extended roof sheltering a panelled front door. Windows are fitted with leaded lights; those at the rear are set at corners, and a toplight on a parlour window and one upstairs room is treated as an eyebrow dormer.

The interior includes a living room and parlour with corner brick fireplaces, braced beams, and lower inglenook areas related to the bedspaces above. The staircase features slat balusters. The upper floor is more simply decorated with panelled walls and timber ceilings.

Trobridge, influenced by Swedenborgian beliefs, incorporated his philosophy into the design, emphasizing logical construction and symbolic detailing. The building’s frame is based on the width of a door to maximize flexibility, and Trobridge believed timber construction was more economical than brick. The house is exceptionally well-preserved and forms part of a group of listed cottages designed by Trobridge.