Numbers 19 And 21 And Attached Area Railings To Number 21

A pair of semi-detached villas, numbers 19 and 21, now used as flats (number 19) and a surgery (number 21), with attached area railings to number 21, were built around 1839-40. They were likely designed by Robert Stokes for James Creed. The construction is stucco over brick, with a brick and stucco party wall and left-end stacks. The villas are three storeys with a basement, and feature recessed side bays, with a window arrangement of 1 + 5 + 1 on the first floor, the central three windows projecting forward. Stucco detailing includes horizontal rustication to the lower ground floor of the projecting section, drawn into voussoirs over the windows, also to the ground floor entrance bay on the left. A first-floor band sits above the rustication. The first-floor windows have tooled architraves, and the ground floor windows on either side of the main range have cornices supported by console brackets. A continuous moulded frieze and cornice run above the first floor, although the cornicing is missing on the left. Ground and first floors have 6/6 sash windows, which are taller on the ground floor. The ground floor windows on the left have blind boxes. The second floor has 3/6 sashes, and the basement has 8/8 sashes. All windows are set in plain reveals with sills. The end entrances have flights of stone steps leading to four-panel doors with overlights. The entrance on the right is within a solid porch with paired Tuscan columns, a frieze and cornice, and a blocking course. Internally, original joinery is present, including window shutters, and the plasterwork features moulded cornices and ceiling roses. Spearhead area railings are attached to the return on the left, and the balustrades on either side of the top step feature stylized heart motifs. The villas were originally named 1 and 2 Berkeley Villas and were part of a development for Joseph Pitt designed by John Forbes, constructed between 1825 and 1842. They contribute to a distinguished architectural group along Pittville Lawn.