Brandon House

CHELTENHAM

SO9421SW PAINSWICK ROAD 630-1/22/612 (East side) 12/03/55 No.62 Brandon House

GV II*

Villa, now offices. c1834-9. Built for Henry Norwood Tyre, architect probably John Forbes. Ashlar over brick with slate roof, rear ashlar stack. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys, 5 first-floor windows and with 2-lower-storey L-plan service range to rear. End 1-window bays break forwards slightly. Ashlar detailing includes Corinthian pilasters to breakforwards, continuous architrave, frieze and dentil cornice with blocking course. Windows have tooled architraves, outer windows to ground floor have ornamental friezes and cornices. Central first-floor 3-light window with entablature and console brackets. Flight of 5 roll-edged steps to central tetrastyle porch with Tower of Winds capitals and frieze embellished by wreaths, cornice and blocking course. Plinth. 6/6 sashes throughout, taller to ground floor. Central entrance a panelled door with sidelights and pilasters between, continuous overlight. Right return a 5 first-floor window range has tooled architraves, and with cornices to alternate ground-floor windows; 6/6 sashes. INTERIOR: retains original plasterwork and joinery including open-well staircase with iron lotus-flower motif to balusters and wreathed handrail, carved tread ends. Joinery includes panelled doors and dividing doors between front and rear right rooms; panelled shutters. Marble fireplaces include that to right, front room with floral motif to corners. HISTORICAL NOTE: Verey notes that Brandon House has the same capitals to the pilasters as Nos 121, 123, 125 and 127, Promenade (qqv), which were built by Forbes. Not shown on Merrett's Map of 1834, however Tyre is noted as resident of Brandon House (Brandon being one of the family names) in the 1839 street directory. During the C19 this was lived in by Countess Ponthieu (1845); Archbishop Whately of Dublin (1849); and Admiral McKeller. Painswick Road was laid out by Charles Baker, to connect Cheltenham with Painswick, following and Act of 1820. Little considers this to be 'the Cheltenham villa at its best'. Occupies a significant corner site and has good group value with No.60 Painswick Road (qv) and Church of St Philip and St James, Gratton Road (qv).

(Little B: Cheltenham in Pictures: Newton Abbot: 1967-: 46; Gloucestershire Society for Industrial Archaeology Journal: Garrett JV: Charles Baker of Painswick and Cheltenham: 1989-; The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: London: 1970-: 154; Merrett HS: Plan of the Town of Cheltenham: 1834-).

Listing NGR: SO9439221088