Oakhill Lawn

HILDENBOROUGH LONDON ROAD (north east side) TQ 54 NE 5/132 Oakhill Lawn - GV II

Villa. Circa 1820s or 1830s in origin, slightly enlarged shortly after it was built. Flemish bond brick; peg-tile roof; stacks with rendered shafts.

Plan and Development: The house faces south. The main block is a rectangular double depth plan, 2 rooms wide, with a central entrance into a passage off which the stairs rise. The 4 ground floor rooms are heated from back-to-back fireplaces in the axial stacks. The 2 front rooms were probably drawing and dining rooms, the rear left room perhaps a parlour. The rear right room was the butler's pantry, alongside the service stair leading down to the kitchen and service rooms in the half-basement, which have their own entrance on the east elevation. In the circa 1840s single-storey projecting bays were added to left and right of the main block, enlarging the 2 front principal rooms.

Exterior: 2 storeys with half-basement and attic; a hipped roof with deep eaves and axial stacks. Symmetrical 3-bay south front plus one-bay additions to left and right. A flight of stone steps leads up to the early C19 recessed panelled front door which has panelled reveals, a rectangular overlight with margin glazing and a pediment. Early C19 12-pane sash windows with rubbed brick flat arches to the first and ground floor; 2-light casement windows to the half basement; flat roofed dormers to the attic. The left and right bays each have one 12-pane sash, flanked by concrete pilasters which may be later additions. The right hand bay has a concrete parapet with a moulded cornice, this has been replaced by a plain parapet on the left hand bay. The left return of the left bay has an early C19 bowed tripartite sash, 12-panes in the centre flanked by 4-pane outer lights. The main block retains its original early C19 12-pane sashes with rubbed brick flat arches. The right hand bay is blind at the right end. The rear elevation also retains its early C19 sashes; the rear door is C19, altered and half-glazed in the C20.

Interior: Early and circa mid C19 features include a stick baluster stair; doors and doorcases; shutters; skirtings; chimney-pieces and cornices.

A nice example of an early C19 gentleman's villa. Group value with the early C19 coach house at the rear (q.v.).