Park House

Details

SE 3155 SW 18/19 PARK PARADE 29-MAY-73 21 (Park House)

II

Includes: NOS 33 & 35 CHRIST CHURCH OVAL

House, early C19, possibly for William van Mildert, the last Prince Bishop of Durham (1826-36). Later C19 extensions to the rear and right side. Extensive, mainly internal, remodelling circa 1975. Coursed stone with slate roof.

LAYOUT Three storey, double fronted with end stacks and a central entrance facing Park Parade (entrance for 21 Park Parade). Slightly set back to the right there is a single bay 2 storey extension which extends to the rear as a 2 storey, gabled roof service wing. Part of this rear wing forms 33 Christ Church Oval. Extending to the left rear of the original house there is a second extension which was originally single storey but raised to 2 storeys in circa 1975. Part of this extension forms 35 Christ Church Oval.

EXTERIOR East elevation, original house: The first and second floor windows have cornices and architraves and exposed sash boxes. There is a first floor cill band, raised coped gables with kneelers and a bracketed rainwater gutter. The central entrance has an enclosed porch that is in the form of a Doric, prostyle portico. This is timber and has had some inappropriate C20 repairs. The porch is flanked by shallow bow fronted windows each with 3 sash windows. These are later alterations (probably mid C19) as the bows cut a ground floor cill band.

East elevation, side extension: The two windows are smaller than those of the main house. They have concealed sash boxes and moulded stone architraves. Above there is a stone gutter course that has been cut through for a modern downpipe.

South elevation, original house: 3 bay gable end, 3 storey with attic above. Large semicircular, stone ashlar bay replaces the left ground floor window with the window above converted to French doors giving access to the flat roof. All of the other windows retain sashes and are similarly detailed to those at the front with architraves and cornices. The French doors retains the cornice of the original window. The single attic window is a 2 over 2 fixed sash with a plain stone lintel and cill with no architrave.

Southern rear extension: This is stone built with a flat roof with a flagstone capped parapet. The windows are later C20 replacements that are not of special interest. Plans suggest that the originals were more in keeping with the rest of the house with the triple windows designed to mirror those of the gable end to the northern rear extension. The western entrance (via a late C19 style stone ashlar canted bay) is to 35 Christ Church Oval.

Northern rear extension: Stone built with Welsh slate roof. The southern elevation is of 3-4 bays with slightly scattered fenestration. Windows are 8 over 8, hornless sashes with concealed sash boxes beneath plain stone lintels. The west gable end is coped but without kneelers. This also has scattered fenestration with a triple window at both first and ground floor with plain stone mullions and Queen Anne revival style sash windows with divided upper sashes above plate glass lower sashes. There is also a similarly detailed single window on the ground floor and a former back door now forming the entrance to 33 Christ Church Oval.

INTERIOR The interior was extensively remodelled in circa 1975 with listed building consent. Some interior features probably dating to the late C19 survive in the left hand ground floor flat, including paired Classical columns which originally framed a large opening through to the rear extension that included the billiards room.

HISTORY Park House has been identified as a residence of William van Mildert, the last Prince Bishop of Durham 1826-1836, possibly used for his wife Jane who lived in Harrogate following a stroke in 1833 until her death in 1837.

SOURCES E. A. Varley, `Mildert, William Van (1765-1836), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, May 2007 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/28096, accessed 7 Oct 2008]

REASON FOR DESIGNIATION Park House is designated for the following principal reasons: * It is a substantial early C19 townhouse which has grown through C19 in response to fashions for additional service accommodation and reception rooms. * It has an impressive, well preserved early C19 front and side elevation overlooking Park Parade. * For the survival of its rear service wing which retains original multipaned sash windows

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

329916

Legacy System:

LBS

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