West Heath School

Originally built as a mansion house around 1760 for a John Smith esquire in "Gothick" style and named Ashgrove, the building was remodelled around 1828 by Basevi for William Haldimand, who financed much of the building of Belgrave Square. Following minor alterations in the late 19th century, an east wing of principal rooms was added in the early 20th century in neo-Stuart style. The house became a girls boarding school in 1931; post-1931 school additions are not of special architectural interest.

The early 20th-century east wing is constructed of grey brick with Portland stone dressings and a tiled roof hipped to the east, with ridge tiles and three tall brick chimneystacks with stone cornices. The two-storey elevation contains five windows with twenty-four-pane sashes with eared architraves. Two projecting bays contain the full-height staircase hall. A projecting stone pedimented porch with four Tuscan columns forms the principal entrance. Deep stone bracketed eaves cornice, string course and plinth complete the composition. The side elevation features three 24-pane sashes with pediments to ground floor windows. The rear elevation has four windows; the end bays project with tripartite windows pedimented to ground floor French windows. A central ground floor canted bay is obscured by an unusual wooden tented verandah with six columns and fretted cornice.

The original west wing is constructed of stock brick with some red brick dressings and a tiled roof, two storeys and attics with irregular fenestration. The north front displays three late 19th-century gabled dormers and stone cornice. The first floor features three segmental-headed six-pane sashes with three pointed-headed French windows below. An octagonal turret to the right originally contained the stair. Adjoining to the right is a three-storey section of which the upper storey dates to the late 19th century. The south front has two lower storeys of 18th or early 19th-century date with round-headed colonnade and sash windows, heightened parapet and late 19th-century gabled dormers. Attached to the south west is the early 19th-century former stable courtyard by Basevi, constructed mainly of coursed ragstone with galleting and slate roof. This comprises two gatepiers with pyramidal tops, two one-storey pavilions with segmental arches, one-storey former coach house with segmental arches filled in during the 20th century, and a two-storey building with crenellated parapet and wooden Gothic cupola with clock face and metal weathervane.

The interior of the original west wing retains a large ground floor room, currently the Canteen, with curved end featuring fluted columns with acanthus capitals, wooden fire surround with frieze of cherubs riding dolphins, pedimented overmantel with ovolo and anthemion and palmette cornice, and three elaborate pedimented surrounds to fine-quality six-panelled doors. An early 19th-century service staircase has a column newel. The cellar features a brick floor and vaulted brick ceiling with wine bins. The service end contains butler's quarters with panelled balcony and square wooden piers with strongroom below. The Staff Dining Room has a plain mid-19th-century fireplace and late 19th-century built-in wall cupboards with electric room bells.

The east wing contains an impressive Staircase Hall with marble floor, full-height oak well staircase with turned balusters, newel posts with ball finials and deep plastered ceiling. The Oak Room features plank and muntin panelling with corner cupboard and fireplace with Delft tiles and overmantel with strapwork centre flanked by round-headed arches. An adjoining room has an early 19th-century fireplace with fluted Tuscan columns, frieze of paterae and griffins, and panel of seated lady by statue of Zeus and eternal flame with marquetry inlaid floor. A south west ground floor room contains an early 19th-century fireplace with bronze caryatids of female satyrs, bronze frieze and marquetry inlay floor. Both elaborate fireplaces appear to be by Basevi and were moved from the earlier part of the house. The Dining Room has a plastered ceiling with sunburst, fasces and wreath, and marble bolection-moulded fireplace with carved swags above after Grindling Gibbons. Upstairs, the Bursar's Office contains a marble fireplace and the Headmistress' Study a marble Louis Quinze style fireplace.