The Gelli

The Gelli

A small country house in the Domestic Revival style, built mainly of brick with red-sandstone and terracotta window dressings, brick sill bands, and lozenge-patterned brickwork on render between storeys in the entrance range and tower. Timber-framing appears in the gables. The tile roof sits on overhanging eaves and has brick chimney stacks, though most of the stack caps have been renewed. The 2½-storey house comprises three main picturesquely grouped elements: a west-facing entrance range with a tower at the south end, a northeast wing projecting behind, and a southwest stable and coach-house wing projecting forward at the south end.

The asymmetrical entrance front features a 2-storey porch to the left of centre. The porch contains a Tudor-headed doorway with a ribbed door incorporating strap hinges and a 4-light mullioned overlight. The timber-framed upper storey is jettied on corbelled brackets and displays a 7-light window with wooden mullions and leaded glazing spanning the full width, beneath wooden consoles of the projecting verge. The tie beam carries a painted panel inscribed "G and H K 1877". To the left stands a 2-light upper-storey window and a massive external stack with tall double shaft. To the right are 3-light and 4-light windows in each storey, followed by a ribbed door at the far right under a 3-pane mullioned overlight and segmental head, with a single light window above. A single segmental-headed iron-frame basement window sits to the right of the porch.

The north garden front is slightly higher and asymmetrical, with three windows visible. The gable end of the entrance range occupies the right side and features a 7-light mullioned and transomed window (with a single pane of 3-light width in the centre) and a 7-light upper-storey window, both with steel-framed casements. The timber-framed gable includes a small 2-light attic window. Set back further to the left, the elevation displays projecting eaves on a coved plastered cornice and two full-height canted 4-light bay windows, taller ones with transoms in the lower storey. Its east gable end has an external stack, flanked by a cross window to the right in the lower storey and a 2-light window in the upper storey to the left.

The rear walls of the northeast wing and entrance range are entirely of brick and their character is reminiscent of the domestic gothic work of Street and Butterfield. The south wall of the northeast wing contains a 4-light mullioned and transomed window with replacement French doors opening to stone steps. The upper storey has a 2-light window to the right and a 1-light window to the left. Further left, at the junction of the two ranges, is an outshut housing the stair, which has a 4-light mullioned and transomed stair window incorporating round-headed lights and a single round-headed window below. The rear of the entrance range features a round-headed half-lit replacement door and overlight, then a 4-light window to its left. The upper storey has a 5-light window (with outer lights blank) and a 2-light window, both with round-headed lights retaining original glazing with coloured glass. Further left stands a tall turret under a pyramidal roof with louvred openings below the eaves for a pigeon loft. Set back at the end is a slightly lower but larger tower terminating the entrance range. The tower has a pyramidal roof with a weathervane incorporating the letter "K". Facing the garden to the south, the tower displays French doors with side lights, an 8-light middle-stage window with round-headed lights (the central two lights are blind), above which the tower is timber-framed with a pair of 2-light windows in a hipped dormer. On the east side, also facing the garden, the lower stage has a 4-light window. On the west side is an external stack over the stable and coach-house wing.

On the west side of the tower is a single-storey wing comprising coach house, stables and groom's accommodation, including a higher section at the end. The higher end is under a hipped roof with a stack to the east and a cupola with louvres (for a pigeon loft) offset on the ridge. Facing south, at the right end adjoining the main house are two 2-light windows flanking a boarded door, then a segmental-headed doorway to a through passage and two garage doors. Further left is a single-pitch brick garage added to the higher end, although one original vehicular lintelled opening remains visible. Above are a 2-light gabled dormer and a 3-light raked dormer. Behind, the higher end has a 4-light window and a 4-light dormer on the left side. Further left are a through-passage doorway and 4-light and 2-light windows.

The entrance opens to a vestibule with a half-lit panelled door, side panels and overlight with leaded glazing, leading into the stair hall. From here the principal rooms are on the left and service rooms and kitchen are on the right. The stair hall is the principal interior feature and retains innovative carpentry characteristic of Douglas. The quarter-turn stair has turned balusters and newels leading to an arcaded landing. The stair-hall roof has bracketed purlins with panelling behind. Main rooms have panelled doors.