Description

458/0/10060 BROOKLANDS ROAD
18-APR-06 66
Arden Hall

II
Large detached villa, c.1898, 2 1/2 storeys, red brick with render and half-timber framing detail, plain tiled roof. 'Old English' style with Arts and Crafts influence.
PLAN: Complex irregular plan, the building sited at right angle to Brooklands Road with main elevation facing SE.
EXTERIOR: Main elevation of 2 storeys and attics comprises a central bay with projecting bays either side. Central bay: Ground floor ashlar main doorway with flat-arched surround and 3 small arched stained glass lights above, central one with ogee arch. Door flanked by leaded mullioned and transomed windows of 4 lights to west and 6 lights to east depicting images of swallows in upper lights. Integral arcaded veranda with balustrading at first floor level with large bay window providing light into open entrance hall. Elaborate moulded plaster eaves cornice above. Western bay: Slightly projecting bay incorporating large gabled dormer. 2 flat-faced bow windows beneath to ground and first floor with Tudor-style pargetting between. Stained glass designs including floral motifs in upper lights. Eastern bay: Slightly projecting bay with gabled dormer incorporating oriel window. Canted bay window with pitched roof at ground floor with stained glass designs to upper lights.
SW garden elevation: 2 bays that to north one projecting forward, canted bays at ground floor and plain bay windows at first floor, all with stained glass designs to upper lights.
Rear: Modestly detailed, but includes stained glass designs to back stair and all upper lights, decorated bargeboards, oriel window, buttress, cast-iron rainwater goods, and unusual hipped dormer spanning 2 gables.
INTERIOR: High level of survival with minor alterations to upper floors for use as modern offices. Original plan form relatively intact with retention of many original features including panelled doors, richly moulded architraves, skirting boards and cornicing, and carved oak fireplaces. Oak panelled hallway with galleried landing, geometric patterned wooden parquet ceiling and part cantilevered stair with unusual arched balustrade mirroring galleried landing above. Ground floor bathroom off hallway retains original tiles and fittings.

HISTORY: Built c.1898 to the designs of an unidentified architect, and originally known as Arden Lee. Brooklands Road was laid out in the 1860s by Samuel Brooks, banker and entrepreneur, to create a cohesive community focused around the Church of St John the Divine. Constructed as private residences, the numerous houses were each situated within large garden plots.
Arden Hall now operates as office accommodation and its coach house has been converted into a separately owned residence (not included in the listing) with new access through what was originally gardens. Gardens were situated to the W and S of the main house and E edge alongside Brooklands Road. Those to the front of the main elevation have mostly been lost to a small car park, and those to the SW for access to the coach house. A car park has also been created to the rear of the house.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: Arden Hall is of special architectural interest as a late C19 'Old English' style villa with Arts & Crafts influences and impressive main SE elevation. Despite the loss of its grounds the house survives with a very high level of completeness, retaining many high quality features and displays a consistency of stylistic detail and high quality craftsmanship of a quality which distinguishes it from its many surviving contemporaries.
SJ7860490918

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26670922

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

• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)