Description

BEESTON AND STAPLEFORD

SK 5135 NE HALLAMS LANE
(South side)
7/19
No.35

II*

House, 1936-7 by H Raymond Myerscough-Walker for Mr H G T Grainger. Rendered brick, with partly cantilevered concrete floor slabs and felted concrete flat roofs. Brick internal walls. The plan is semi-circular to the front, with first floor balcony; the rear is rectangular with two storeys topped by covered roof terrace. Entrance on square north face of house, set back with dining room and kitchen to right, and garage with roller shutters beyond. Garden front a fine example of the international modern style with Swedish detailing, eg. in the first floor roof canopy. Ground floor living room with continuous band of metal framed casement windows with, to left, French window and flanking window, and to right porthole windows continuing the composition of the entrance on the opposite elevation. Above is a sleeping terrace with glazed flanking screens and round rooflights, behind which projects a semi-circular central bay with French window, flanked by single French windows with adjoining lights. Beyond, to right, a casement. Above and set back again, a fully-glazed sun room gazebo on arched covered terrace. All balconies with tubular steel stanchions and balustrades. West elevation with similar casements, and partly cantilevered first floor. Entrance on north elevation, screened from kitchen area by curved concrete wall with cornice band on separate stanchions. Original door with porthole motif under flat hood, with porthole to side; the entrance forms a separate composition of apparent great height incorporating the roof terrace. Other windows original metal casements as on garden front. The kitchen with glazed steel door with flanking lights, with coal store to left and garage to right. The interior is of considerable richness and survives remarkably completely. To right of entrance is a broad hallway having polished brick floors (under carpet) and with folding doors giving on to lounge to left, and dining area and kitchen to right. All rooms with metal skirtings. At west end a circular staircase with central newel. The lounge has birch ply floor, a curved stone fireplace and surround set within a bank of fitted cupboards incorporating a coalscuttle and fluted corner feature. Above the projecting mantlepiece an angled mirror reflects light from windows on to ceiling. Across hall is dining recess with curved fitted cupboards, and linked via hatch with double sliding doors to kitchen. This has a remarkably complete set of cupboards and drawers on three walls, those backing on to garage with shelves behind sliding screen and drawers incorporating ventilation holes - all clearly for food storage. There, too, a fold-down table hinged to the wall. Circular stairs lead to three bedrooms. The largest overlooking sleeping terrace has fitted bed alcove, fitted cupboards, vanity table and corner mirror set behind curved cupboard with shelving; away from garden front it leads into drawing room with fitted walk in cupboard incorporating tie racks and drawers. Bathroom with large tiles, original bath, sink and fittings. The other bedrooms, for visitors and a maid, are simple. Narrow stairs with steel handrail lead to elegant glazed sun room and roof. Although an imposing house, it cost only ?2,000 to build. Surviving accounts show that particular attention was paid to the circulation and planning of the house, so that hall, lounge and dining area could be used as a single space if required, and with a conscious attempt to eliminate draughts. Of II* quality because it's round and very sculptural form epitomises all that was most dynamic about the Modern Movement. Such carefully composed modern houses by important architects are rare, and this is Myerscough-Walker's only building - although a talented architect, he worked mostly as a perspectivist, writer and teacher. What makes this house exceptional, however, is the lavishness of its internal fixtures and remarkably complete state of preservation. Sources: Architect and Building News, 25 June 1937. Building, July 1937.The Times, 13 July 1984.Country Life, 31 August 1995.

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Listing NGR: SK5151835915

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17547462

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)