Marylands

House designed by Oliver Hill and built between 1929–31 for Mr M C Warner. The architect successfully persuaded the client away from his Tudor preference, which Hill considered entirely unsuitable for the site. The result is an inventive mixture of Spanish style with Lutyens influence.

The building is constructed of sandstone with a Swedish green pantiled roof. It comprises a U-shaped block of two storeys facing south-west to capture spectacular views, with the north-east side incorporating a tall battered square tower. A curved service wing of one storey with attics is attached to the north by an archway. The two main wings are linked by a stone terrace incorporating a Moorish curved pool.

The south-west garden front displays irregular fenestration with carefully designed but disparate glazing. The central block has four first-floor windows, including three four or five-light casements and a left-side tripartite window with metal glazing bars in the form of stylized hooked branches. Ground floor windows are round-headed with glazing bars, and there is a round-headed door with massive hinges. The projecting right-hand wing has an open loggia on the ground floor with round-headed arches and a former nursery wing on the first floor featuring an open sleeping platform of three bays to the south. Windows overlooking the view were purposely left unglazed. South-east facing windows are four-light casements. The projecting left-hand wing has a sleeping platform at the south of the first floor with a metal balcony to the principal bedroom. The ground floor music room has round-headed tall windows, some with glazing bars and some without, plus a metal balcony to the south.

On the north-west side is a battered external chimneystack. The battered square tower to the north rises four storeys and contains a library on the first floor with a modified Venetian window, round-headed windows to the second floor with idiosyncratic diagonal glazing bars, and small casements to the tower room. The entrance front to the north-east has three and four-light casements and a round-headed doorcase. The curved former service wing has casement windows and hipped dormers to the rear.

The interior is remarkably complete. The music room features a sandstone fireplace with herringbone brick infill and a brick curved hood, a dais at one end, an oak hatch with chevron pattern to the library, and a round-headed door with chevron pattern to the hall. A smaller plank door leads to the library up three steps with tiled risers and specially designed curved curtain rails which open outwards. The ceiling is beamed, supported on stone corbels. The staircase hall contains a minstrels' gallery, two round-headed arches with a battered column, a circular herringbone brick feature to the floor, circular stone steps with tiled risers, stone arches to the minstrels' gallery, a partly open wooden staircase, and a wheel light fitting. The library has a corner stone fireplace. The dining room is barrel-vaulted with a Tudor arched fireplace with herringbone brick infill and a serving hatch with chevron pattern that folds into four sections to the kitchen. Original light fittings survive. The service staircase has stick balusters and square newel posts, and servants' bells remain. The first floor corridor is fitted with copper light fittings. Several bedrooms retain original fireplaces, some with tiled surrounds and cupboards. An open tread staircase leads to the tower room with lattice design to the balustrade.

During the Second World War the house was let to Tatsumi, the Japanese Military Attache, and to Sikorsky, the Polish prime minister.