Alma House And Walls And Piers Adjoining

CHELTENHAM

SO9422SE RODNEY ROAD 630-1/13/790 (North West side) 12/03/55 No.73 Alma House and walls and piers adjoining (Formerly Listed as: RODNEY ROAD (North West side) No.75 Alma House)

GV II*

Villa. 1838, with later additions and alterations including interior refurbishing and conservatory of c1905 designed by George Walton for George Peake in Art Nouveau style, the craftsmen including HH Martyns of Cheltenham. Stucco over brick with concealed roof and end stucco stacks. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys on basement and with attic to rear, 5 first-floor windows, with single-storey extension to left. End and centre bays break forwards slightly and are articulated by pilaster strips with decorative capitals, on plinth, surmounted by modillion entablature and blocking course. Stucco detailing includes tooled architraves to windows, those to ground floor have frieze and cornice, those to first floor are eared. 6/6 sashes throughout, taller to ground floor; windows in plain reveals and with sills and blind boxes. Basement has 4/4 sashes. Central entrance: tetrastyle porch has fluted columns with 'Tower of Winds' caps, flight of steps to double 4-panel doors with sidelights in tooled architrave with fleurons. Glazed conservatory to left has dentil frieze and 'pedimented' gable end. Left return has 3-window range, those to first floor with tooled architraves. Rear retains 6/6 sashes, one with margin-lights, tall 6/6 staircase sash; attic has 3/6 sashes. INTERIOR: retains sumptuous decoration. Original flight of imperial stairs has fluted Doric balusters and Ionic colonnade to landing, top-lit by skylight. Regency plasterwork. Room to left has light oak panelling and fireplace with tiles, brass grate and painted overmantel. Art Nouveau glass remain to door, windows and conservatory. Otherwise not inspected. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: stuccoed brick walls and piers to left and right returns of front forecourt, the piers matching those to front (qv). HISTORICAL NOTE: featured in The Studio Yearbook in 1907. The metalwork and light fittings of the Art Nouveau scheme remain.

Moon regards this as, 'one of the most complete of Walton's schemes of this period ... one of the high points of Walton's career in interior decoration'. (The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: London: 1970-: 145; Moon K: George Walton, designer and architect: Oxford: 1993-: 120-3; The Studio Yearbook of Decorative Art: 1907-: 76-78).

Listing NGR: SO9488222169