Numbers 38 And 40 With Attached Walls And Piers And Area Railings

A pair of semi-detached villas with attached walls, piers, and area railings, dating from 1839-40. They were built by Abraham Tyler, a local builder who completed many houses in the Pittville area. The villas are constructed of stucco over brick, with a hipped roof covered in slate to the right and mock slate to the left, and a tall stucco party-wall stack.

The architectural style is characterized by stucco detailing, including a first-floor band surmounted by three Doric pilasters positioned between the central windows. The windows are 6/6 sash windows, taller on the ground floor, set in plain reveals with sills. The entrances are at each end, with flights of roll-edged steps leading to four-panel doors featuring raised and fielded upper panels and flush lower panels, alongside side-lights and divided overlights. Wide eaves define the roofline.

The interior is noted for retaining its original joinery, including panelled shutters. The verandahs have an x-and-circle motif to the uprights and openwork friezes, while the area railings feature an X-motif balustrade.

The attached walls are coped and include plank doors approximately 2 metres high, sloping downwards to piers; the pier on the right is shared with the adjacent property at number 42.

These villas were built as part of a development undertaken for Joseph Pitt between 1835 and 1842, with the overall layout designed by the architect John Forbes. They are depicted on Merrett’s Map of 1834, and form part of a wider group of semi-detached villas along the north-west side of Prestbury Road.