Apsley Lodge

Apsley Lodge is a villa, dating to around 1860-70, and subsequently divided into two dwellings. It stands on Pittville Circus in Cheltenham, and is constructed of stucco over brick, with a hipped slate roof and four brick stacks to the end and rear. The villa is two storeys high with a basement, featuring three first-floor windows on the front elevation. There is a two-storey recessed entrance bay to the left and a single-storey porch to the right, with a rear range extending to the back.

Architectural details include a first-floor band and tooled architraves to the windows, with ground-floor windows featuring cornices on consoles. The ground-floor windows have 1/1 sashes, while the first-floor windows have 6/6 sashes. The left entrance is approached by a flight of steps leading to a round-arched opening with a tooled head and imposts. Inside is a four-panel double door and an overlight. Above this entrance is a blind window. A second entrance, to the right, also has a flight of steps to a round-arched opening with a tooled head and imposts, now housing a 20th-century four-panel door with sidelights. The left return showcases 6/6 sashes and blind openings, all with matching tooled architraves. The right return has three first-floor windows in tooled architraves; the first bay is blind, followed by 6/6 sashes.

The interior retains original joinery, including panelled shutters to the windows and four-panel doors. The circus itself was laid out in 1839-40 by Cope on land purchased from Joseph Pitt, although the pitville Estate’s overall design was originally by John Forbes. Apsley Lodge is later than many of the other villas on the Circus, but remains an important landmark within this impressive layout.