Vernon Hill House

Vernon Hill House is a country house dating back to the 18th century. It has undergone several alterations through the centuries, including early 19th-century classical additions to the front, Tudor detailing to the rear, and a mid-19th century Gothic extension. The walls are stuccoed, with simple window openings (hood moulds above the rear bay windows). An external balustrade and moulded cornice cap the parapet. The extension is built from colourwashed brick in a Flemish bond, featuring a verandah with arcading of pointed arches. The tile roof is double-pile on the main block and unusually steep on the extension, with varied levels and some hips.

The rear (north) elevation of the main block, dating from around 1830, is plain, with two-storey splayed bay windows on each side, each featuring a 1-2-1 window arrangement with casements. A porch has an oval arch and stepped parapet. The front (south) elevation of the main block is similar on the east side, but the west side projects with a tall, symmetrical facade. This features half-hexagonal, full-height bays enclosing a wide porch and a 1-1-1:2 window arrangement. Casements are found on the east side, while the facade has large sash windows in reveals. Porticos extend to the corner of each bay, using a Tuscan order with balustraded parapets, square columns enclosing round columns, an architrave with panels, a fanlight with interlaced circular patterns, and a three-panelled door (the upper portion glazed).

The east extension is characterized by its exaggerated height and varied form, including a crosswing to the main block and a pointed apse projecting towards the front courtyard. A lower front section is encircled by a verandah on the south and west sides, connecting to the apse. The brick wall of the verandah is pierced by pointed arches and partly tiled, though the top glazing has been removed. Tall, tapered stacks repeat the Gothic appearance. Windows in the apse and an east-side oriel appear to be slender sashes with central transomes. Other windows are less exaggerated or of a vernacular style. The northeast corner of the L-shaped house, where the different styles meet, consists of several linked service units of varied form and height. The interior includes a staircase.