Oakley (Number 55) And Little Oakley (Number 57)

Oakley (number 55) and Little Oakley (number 57) are two villas built around 1833 to 1850, later divided into separate dwellings and altered. The villas are constructed of stucco over brick, with hipped slate roofs and stucco chimney stacks.

The main range (number 55) is two storeys with three first-floor windows, and a further range set back to the right, also of two storeys with one plus four first-floor windows, and a modern range to the right. The stucco detailing includes horizontal rustication to the ground floor, which is drawn into the voussoirs over the windows. A moulded sill band runs along the first floor, and the first-floor windows have tooled architraves. Steps lead to a central entrance featuring a three-panel door with sidelights and a cambered overlight with decorative glazing bars, set within a Doric porch with fluted columns, an architrave, a frieze with triglyphs and metopes, a cornice with guttae, and a blocking course. Ground-floor windows are tripartite with 6/6 sashes between 2/2 sashes; first-floor windows have 6/6 sashes. Wide eaves are supported by brackets. Tall end stacks have cornices. The range to the right has a flight of roll-edged steps to an off-centre left entrance, which features a 20th-century six-panel door with sidelights and overlight, within a porch with pillars, a frieze, a cornice, and a blocking course. The ground floor of this range has 6/9 sashes, and the first floor has 6/6 sashes. A joining range has casement windows. A crowning cornice and blocking course are raised to the centre and have copings. Rear windows retain 6/6 and 2/2 sashes.

The interior of the drawing room features a marble fireplace with a panel depicting Leda and the Swan, and plasterwork including an acanthus frieze and a grape frieze to the front room. The hall has an egg-and-dart frieze with acanthus modillions and fleurons. The open-well staircase has rod and bobbin balusters with a wreathed handrail.

The villas were built as part of the layout of The Park, which was established in 1833 by Thomas Billings. For a short period in the mid-19th century, the central park became a zoological garden. The development was later bought by architect Samuel Daukes. Inspired by designs for Regent's Park in London, the development is of a similar style to numbers 35 and 37 The Park.