Roden House (Number 23) Berkeley House (Number 25) Attached Walls And Railings To Number 25

A pair of semi-detached villas, now converted into flats and offices, with attached walls and railings, built around 1833. The design is attributed to Robert Stokes. The villas are constructed with stucco over brick, featuring a concealed roof, brick and stucco end and party walls, and rear stacks. The walls are of pinkish-brown brick and stucco, with iron balconies and railings.

The villas are three storeys high with a basement, displaying nine first-floor windows, of which three outer windows on each side are within full-height, canted bays. Full-height service ranges are located at the rear. The stucco detailing includes horizontal rustication to the ground floor of the canted bays, with voussoirs above these windows. Horizontal rustication continues to the left return. First and second-floor windows have tooled architraves; those on the first floor are distinguished by cornices on console brackets. A crowning architrave, frieze, and dentil cornice complete the exterior. A blind window is centrally positioned on both the ground and first floors. The windows are predominantly 6/6 sash windows, with blind boxes where original, set in plain reveals with sills. Off-centre entrances are located on the left and right sides, with a four-panel, part-glazed door on the right and double, studded doors on the left, accompanied by sidelights and overlights. The left return features three first-floor windows, with the central second-floor window being a 6/6 sash and the basement windows being 3/6 sashes, all but the central second-floor sash being blind.

The interior retains original joinery including panelled shutters, though a full inspection was not possible. Balcony railings to the canted bays feature an anthemion motif and embellished rods, inspired by Henry Shaw’s design for Upper Woburn Place.

A kitchen garden wall, approximately 12 metres long, extends to the rear on the left side. Spearhead railings, topped with vase finials, run along the boundary for approximately 12 metres, incorporating a hollow corner pier with stanchions and vase finials. Railings to the sides of the steps are also embellished with rods and vase finials.

The villas were constructed as part of a development initiated for Joseph Pitt between 1825 and 1842, designed overall by the architect John Forbes. These represent the only properties built by Stokes within the area between Segrave Place and Wellington Road, which he acquired for the construction of villas. Originally known as 2 and 3 Segrave Villas, number 23 was sold to Captain George Schreiber for £1900 in 1836, and number 25 was sold to Corbet Holland for £2180 in 1834. The villas along Pittville Lawn represent a distinguished architectural group.