Russell-Cotes Museum

Russell-Cotes Museum, Russell Cotes Road

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1108857
Date first listed:: 01-Aug-1974
List Entry Name:: Russell-Cotes Museum
Statutory Address:: Russell-Cotes Museum, Russell Cotes Road

User submitted image — Uploaded by Historic England Archive This photo may not represent the current condition of the site
View all

Location

Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.

There is a problem

Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions.

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.

What is the National Heritage List for England?

The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.

The list includes:

🏠 Buildings
🏰 Scheduled monuments
🌳 Parks and gardens
⚔️ Battlefields
⚓ Shipwrecks

Find out more about listing

Images of England Project

To view this image please use Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Edge.

Archive image, may not represent current condition of site.

Date:: 2001-09-05
Reference:: IOE01/04847/03
Rights:: © Mr Trevor Fenwick. Source: Historic England Archive

Historic England Archive

Search over 1 million photographs and drawings from the 1850s to the present day using our images archive.

Find Photos

Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1108857
Date first listed:: 01-Aug-1974
Date of most recent amendment:: 30-Nov-1992
List Entry Name:: Russell-Cotes Museum
Statutory Address 1:: Russell-Cotes Museum, Russell Cotes Road

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: Russell-Cotes Museum, Russell Cotes Road

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SZ 09222 90894

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 28/05/2020

SZ 0990 19/169

RUSSELL-COTES ROAD (south side), Russell-Cotes Museum

1.8.74

II* House museum and art gallery, formerly East Cliff Hall. 1894 by Bournemouth architect John Fogarty for Sir Merton and Lady Russell-Cotes: eastern picture gallery wing added 1918-1919 by H.E. Hawker; western gallery wing added 1990 by Bournemouth Council Architect's Department. Cement render. Tiled mansard roof with tall rendered chimney stacks and decorative cast iron balustrade; pyramidal roof flanked by conical roofs to southern bays. French villa style, on steep slope having single storey to road and three to garden.

Porch of 1907: bulbous windowless pavilion of staircase adjoining has glazed dome on domical leaded base. Garden front has central canted bay flanked by bowed bays with continuous copper hood above second floor windows and loggia to first floor (which follows the line of the bowed bays) approached by stone, balustraded imperial steps having a segmental arch giving access to stairs to first floor. Attached double height picture gallery rendered with rusticated pilasters and terracotta busts in modallions; cornice and balurstrade with urns. To left, two storey bowed conservatory; rendered ground floor with three round-arched openings and glazed first floor with shallow conicle roof. Attached three storey extension, known as The Display Space, in similar but simplified style to the house. Remarkable middle class aesthetic interior to house with rooms off of a large top-lit, double height, galleried hall with black and gold painted imperial stair.

Interior decoration by O. Thomas. Much stencilling, hand-painted ceilings and panels, tiles and gold lincrusta wallpaper; some good door furniture. Good stained glass to windows, screens and top lights. Hall with mosaic lined marble fountain and star painted ceiling with top light depicting phases of the sun and signs of the zodiac. Stair with stencilled dado and gold painted classical frieze below stained glass dome depicting bats and owls with clouds and stars; mosaic lyre pattern squinches with lunettes having painted figures in roundels. Dining room has painted peacock frieze on deep coving, brought forward on freestanding pink marble Cornithian columns which flank a round arched inglenook with Elizabethan style overmantle and grate with blue and white figure painted cheeks; flanked by stained glass windows. Fretwork screen to window bay. Morning room ceiling replaced following war damage and painted in contemporary theatrical trompe-l'oeil style by Anne Zinkeisen. French style drawing room has C18 Florentine doors, white and gold plaster ceiling, elaborate chimney piece and overmantle and fretwork screen to window bay. Upper rooms have various scenically painted ceilings and cornices. Scenes include Burmese, Japanese, pastoral and nautical. Lady Russell-Cote's boudoirs in Adam Revival style having a pink stencilled scheme incorporating cameo medallions and laure swags; good chimneypiece and overmantle; fretwork screen to window bay. Arabic style painted polygonal vestibule with stained glass dome leads to study having open screen, golden imitation Spanish leather wallpaper and painted coved cornice depicting pastoral bird scenes. Irving Room has painted medallions. Picture gallery top lit with patterned stained glass including a compass; Corinthian screen to gallery entrance and Corinthian doorcases with painted texts to openings form an enfilade. Tiled toilets and former bathroom with stencilled walls, tiled dado and painted panel depicting a peacock, a parrot and fruit. The Display Space has top lighting domes, one with stained glass depicting local landscapes by Sasha Ward; circular opening to second floor allows dome to be seen from first. Floors approached by spiral stair in glazed turret.

Lord and Lady Russell-Cotes made their money from the Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth. They travelled widely and collected extensively; the house was built both to accommodate the collection and entertain on a large scale. In 1908 they presented the house and contents to the Corporation of Bournemouth, though retaining their right to live their for their lifetime. By 1922 both had died and the house and gallery were opened to the public. It is particularly complete example of middle class aesthetic taste. The Display Space contains commissioned sculpture, stained glass and furniture by contemporary artists and designers, in the tradition of the original house.

Listing NGR: SZ0922290894

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 101826
Legacy System:: LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.