Brandon House

Brandon House is a villa, dating to approximately 1834-9, built for Henry Norwood Tyre. The architect was likely John Forbes. It is now used as offices. The house is constructed of ashlar stone over brick, with a slate roof and a rear ashlar stack.

The exterior is two storeys, with five first-floor windows, and a two-storey L-shaped service range to the rear. The end bays project slightly, featuring Corinthian pilasters, a continuous architrave, frieze, dentil cornice, and a blocking course. The windows have tooled architraves; the outer ground-floor windows have ornamental friezes and cornices. The central first-floor window is a three-light design with an entablature and console brackets. A flight of five roll-edged steps leads to a central tetrastyle porch with Tower of Winds capitals, a frieze embellished by wreaths, a cornice, and a blocking course. There is a plinth. The windows are predominantly six-over-six sashes, taller on the ground floor. The central entrance has a panelled door with sidelights and pilasters, with a continuous overlight. The right return has a five-window range to the first floor, with tooled architraves and cornices to alternate ground-floor windows; these also have six-over-six sashes.

Inside, much of the original plasterwork and joinery remain. This includes an open-well staircase with iron balusters featuring a lotus-flower motif and a wreathed handrail, along with carved tread ends. The joinery includes panelled doors and dividing doors between the front and rear rooms, and panelled shutters. Marble fireplaces are present, with a particular example in the right-front room featuring floral motifs on the corners.

Historical records indicate that in 1839, Henry Tyre resided at Brandon House. Later residents included the Countess Ponthieu (1845), Archbishop Whately of Dublin (1849), and Admiral McKeller. Painswick Road was laid out by Charles Baker, following an Act of 1820 to connect Cheltenham with Painswick. The building is considered to be an excellent example of Cheltenham villas. It occupies a prominent corner site and has good group value with No.60 Painswick Road and the Church of St Philip and St James, Gratton Road.