Hillfield House

Hillfield House is a large house, now used as local government offices, built around 1867 by the architect John Giles. It was constructed by Albert Estcourt, a master builder, for Charles Walker, a timber merchant.

The building is constructed of brick with principal facades faced in ashlar stonework. It has low pitched hipped slate roofs and stone chimney stacks. The plan comprises a large main block centred around a top-lit atrium which provides access to the principal rooms. The main doorway on the east side is entered from a porte cochere, with a tall square tower rising behind it. At the rear, on the north side of a service yard, a long wing projects from the main block.

The exterior consists of two storeys and a cellar, with the tower rising to four storeys. The entrance front is asymmetrical, with the porte cochere and tower positioned slightly off-centre and a short wing to the left projecting from the main alignment. Details include a plinth, moulded string at ground-floor sill level, an entablature at first-floor level with a band at the sill, and a crowning entablature. Raised quoins mark the corners of the left-hand wing.

The porte cochere entablature is supported at the corners by slender square piers flanked by columns-in-antis on pedestals, all with foliated capitals. Above is a roof balcony with a turned baluster balustrade between corner piers. The entrance doorway has a fanlight set in an arched opening with an architrave frame and raised keystone, and comprises two-leaf fielded panel doors.

Ground-floor fenestration consists of tall arched sashes: a pair to the right of the tower, a single sash further right, two to the left of the tower, and two to the front of the left-hand wing. All are set in openings with foliated impost capitals and moulded arches with raised foliated keystones. Smaller sashes flank the tower in similar openings. First-floor windows follow the same pattern, except for the two sashes to the front of the wing, which are set in openings with architraves and cornices on console brackets.

The tower features a pair of arched sashes on its first floor and three arched lancet windows on the second floor. The third floor contains a prospect viewing chamber with triplets of tall arched sashes in each face set in arcades with a continuous moulded impost and moulded arches with raised keystones. Each face has a balcony with turned balusters between solid piers, supported on brackets. The crowning cornice is supported on closely set moulded brackets, and the low pitched pyramidal roof is crowned by a decorative wrought-iron finial.

The south garden front is symmetrical, featuring three central bays flanked by short wings two bays wide. These are linked by a single-storey three-bay arcaded loggia with columns on pedestals with foliated capitals, moulded archivolts with raised bracket keystones, and foliated spandrels. Short projections on the front of both wings each contain a pair of arched sashes in two-bay arcaded openings with details similar to the loggia. The crowning entablature on the projections is returned onto the fronts of the wings, with the cornice and frieze continuing above the loggia and a crowning modillion cornice to the second storey. Raised quoins mark the corners of the wings. Second-floor sashes are set in openings with architrave surrounds and cornices on console brackets. A terrace extends across the width of the front, approached by a central flight of steps.

The north side of the main block and rear wing are faced in brick with sashes on both floors, mostly set in openings with segmental arches.

The interior features an entrance lobby leading into a richly decorated central atrium of full height with a top-lit roof. A cantilevered balcony runs on all sides at first-floor level. The atrium is entered through a three-bay colonnade of columns with foliated capitals and moulded arches. On the other walls, applied arcades at ground-floor level and first-floor level feature panelled pilasters with foliated capitals and semicircular moulded arches beneath a crowning entablature. At first-floor level, the panels of the pilasters are carved with drops of fruit and flowers. The staircase entry is through the central archway in the three-bay arcade in the end wall opposite the entrance.

The dog-leg staircase has stone steps and a balustrade with a square panelled newel and bulbous balusters. It opens onto the atrium balcony, which has an elaborate wrought-iron balustrade supported on carved stone brackets on each side. The arches of the arcade bays contain infilled doorways to the principal rooms on both levels, with richly carved tympana and carved roundels in the spandrels. In the stairwell are two semicircular arched moulded stone windows with richly coloured stained glass. Other rooms are believed to contain contemporary fittings.

The house originally occupied extensive grounds, now part of Hillfield Rest Garden, a public park. It was originally approached through entrance gates in London Road. This is a fine example of a mid-19th century villa, particularly notable for its outstanding interior design.