Number 3 And 5 And Attached Railings

A pair of semi-detached villas, Number 3 and 5, were built around 1826-30 in Cheltenham. They are constructed of stucco over brick, with a hipped slate roof, a central stucco chimney stack, and attached iron railings. The houses are arranged with a double-depth plan, incorporating side hallways and full-height service ranges to the rear.

The architectural style features horizontal rustication to the ground floor, with flat arches above the openings. A first-floor band and a moulded band near the roofline are also present, along with wide eaves supported by brackets with incised panels. The first-floor windows have elliptical arches and feature 2/2 horizontal pane sashes with sills on feet, while the ground-floor windows are 1/1 sashes in plain reveals. Steps with roll edges lead to set-back entrances, each featuring a three-panel door with raised and fielded upper panels, a flush lower panel, sidelights, and an overlight. The basement windows are 6/6 sashes. The rear of the properties retains original 6/6 sashes, and the returns have tall 2/2 horizontal-pane staircase sashes.

The interior of Number 3 retains original joinery, including panelled shutters, and is rumoured to contain original plasterwork. A dogleg staircase with rod and central bobbin balusters and a wreathed handrail is also present. The interiors of the other house were not inspected.

The ground-floor balcony and attached railings, featuring alternately embellished and scrolled rods, add to the frontage. Numbers 3 and 5 form a group with the other properties at Numbers 3-19 (odd) and 4-18 (even) in Sydenham Villas Road.