Southend House

CHELTENHAM

SO9522NE PRESTBURY ROAD 630-1/11/697 (North side) 05/05/72 No.32 Southend House

GV II

Villa, now flats. c1840-5. Stucco over brick with hipped slate roof, stucco ridge and rear stacks. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys on basement, 3 + 3 first-floor windows, those to left in full-height canted bay which continues around angle as 5-sided bay. Stucco detailing includes pediments on console brackets to ground-floor windows, and a bowed porch with 2 'Tower of Winds' columns with Doric pilaster responds and dentil entablature; tooled first-floor band; tooled architraves to windows with sills on feet to first floor which interrupt band. Overhanging eaves. 6/6 sashes throughout, taller to ground floor, all in plain reveals and with sills. Basement has replacement 1/1 sashes. Off-centre entrance, flight of steps to double 4-fielded panel doors, bowed on section and with fixed lights in sides of porch. Rear elevation to Albert Road has a single-storey bow to ground floor, surmounted by openwork balustrade, with tripartite window with 6/6 between 2/2 sashes; otherwise 6/6 sashes throughout, those to canted bay at angle have pediments on console brackets. Right return has 4/4 staircase sash with radial glazing to head and margin-lights. INTERIOR: noted as retaining original joinery including panelled shutters to windows. HISTORICAL NOTE: Abraham Tyler, builder agreed to purchase the lot (1840), but later transferred it to Charles Cary without the house having begun; it was then mortgaged to Revd Oliver Cary of Charlton Kings (1840). Built as part of the development of this area undertaken for Joseph Pitt in 1835-42, the general layout being designed by the architect John Forbes. It was lived in by John Gregory Welch (in 1846) who had built Arle House (demolished c1960). Nos 32 to 66 (even) (qqv) form a group. (Blake S: Pittville: 1824-1860: Cheltenham: 1988-: 74; Cheltenham Local History Society Journal: White P: Arle House, home of the Welch family: 1986-: 20).

Listing NGR: SO9551422972