Parkside, The Old House And Talgai

Parkside, The Old House and Talgai

A range of three estate cottages built around 1830 for Albury Estate, shown on the 1838 Tithe Map. Parkside and The Old House were extended to the rear in the mid and later 19th century, while Talgai received a 1930 extension.

The front elevation is executed in Gothic style using red brick with some grey headers, with a slate roof and brick chimneystacks. The two storey range has nine windows to the front with wooden ovolo-moulding, though the casements are later replacements. Three cambered casements feature brick hood moulding, and there is a central doorcase with a flat hood and three-panelled early 20th century door. Talgai, which sits at a higher elevation than its adjoining cottages, is distinguished by two gables.

The principal architectural feature is a series of four original tall brick chimneystacks, of which two are clustered with moulded brick chimneystacks designed in imitation of those at Albury Park. The rear elevation is partly brick, with a left side gable hung with bands of plain and patterned tiles. A 1930 brick extension to the left hand side includes a projecting gable in matching style.

The Old House and Parkside sit at lower elevation with narrow sloping roofs to the front. Each has three cambered casements with hood moulding, the central window narrower than its neighbours. The original ovolo-moulded surrounds survive, though the metal casements are later additions. The Old House has a 20th century door, while Parkside retains a 19th century four-panelled door with the top two panels glazed, and is fronted by a 20th century gabled slate porch with rustic columns.

The rear elevation, extended later in the 19th century, includes four gables with stuccoed walls—the two central gables are of identical size while the outer ones are larger. Casement windows have wooden blindboxes with scalloped decoration. Parkside retains an original wooden roller blind to a French window.

Interior details in Parkside include an early 19th century staircase with stick balusters and column newel, matchboard panelling to dado height, and black and white tiles to the floor. Four-panelled doors throughout, wooden fireplace and cupboard in the lounge with wooden panels. One ground floor room features a cambered brick fireplace surround. The kitchen has a large fireplace flanked by wooden cupboards and tiled floors. Bedrooms contain wooden fireplaces, cast iron firegrates, and built-in cupboards. The rear elevation is partially stuccoed with incised lines to Parkside and The Old House; Talgai's rear is partially tile-hung.

Historical records document that in 1820 the estate tenants granted leave to Henry Drummond "to inclose parts of the waste in such places as he may think fit for building cottages for labourers in Albury not exceeding 10 acres in whole allowing one acre for each cottage". An 1830 letter from Drummond to William Bray of the Manor of Shere offered to build 20 cottages on Shere Heath, undertaking to let them only to labourers of Bray's parish.

The 1838 Tithe Map shows the inhabitants as the Reverend N Armstrong (presumably of Talgai, the largest property), one unoccupied cottage, and a property occupied by Mrs Little, identified in the 1841 Census as a midwife.