Details
PAIGNTON
SX8961 LOWER POLSHAM ROAD
1947-1/4/57 (North side)
10/01/75 Parkfield including walls to walled
garden to north
(Formerly Listed as:
ESPLANADE ROAD
No.38
Parkfield)
GV II
House, including walls to walled garden. Owned by Torbay
Borough Council, disused at time of survey. Probably 1820s in
origin with c1860s alterations.
MATERIALS: Stuccoed and blocked out; roof partly slate, partly
clad in corrugated-asbestos. Stacks with rendered shafts with
platbands and some old pots.
PLAN: Main range approximately double-depth with garden
elevation facing S, entrance on W side into passage, stairs
rise to rear, service rooms to rear right (NE) with service
yard at E end. The eastern block of the main range is probably
1820s, the western either a later addition or a remodelling.
EXTERIOR: 2 and 3 storeys with single-storey service rooms at
the right end. Asymmetrical 3:1:2-window garden front. Deep
eaves. The garden elevation has 2 gables to the front with a
garden door in a set-back block between them; secondary
lean-to at right end. The right-hand gabled block has left and
right pilasters with sunk panels and a panelled verge band.
Platbands at first and 2nd-floor levels; stuccoed anthemion
motif in gable.
2 ground-floor windows with eared moulded surrounds, glazed
with 2-pane sashes. 2 first-floor French windows, with margin
panes and stuccoed Tudor style hoodmoulds, open onto fine
cast-iron verandah. 2nd-floor window with ogival head and
pretty curly ogival hoodmould is glazed with a 16-pane sash
with margin panes in the head. Recessed bay in centre has C19
half-glazed garden door with overlight below a 12-pane sash.
The left-hand block has platbands at 2nd-floor level and above
the lintels of the 2nd-floor windows, giving a pedimented
effect to the shallow gable. 3 ground-floor French windows
with moulded stuccoed surrounds and cornices. Lean-to block at
right end is set-back with roof hipped to front.
Segmental-headed Edwardian timber verandah and early C19
six-panel door.
The entrance front, to W, has a 2-window elevation. Deep
eaves; eaves band; platband at first-floor sill level.
Projecting entrance bay in centre has pedimented gable and
segmental-headed pilastered outer dooorway with cornice over.
Internal porch has tiled floor and 2-leaf late C19 half-glazed
front door with reeded doorcase. To the right a shallow
projecting stack.
To left of front door a C19 shallow gabled conservatory with
iron cresting on the ridge and below the gable. French window
into conservatory; 12-pane sash to first floor.
Single-storey block at left end is probably later C19. The
rear elevation includes one ogival-headed window to match that
on the front.
Local red breccia garden walls to walled garden rear (N) of
the house.
INTERIOR: Very unaltered since about 1900 and incorporating
earlier features. Joinery intact throughout, including doors,
skirtings, shutters etc
Entrance hall with mosaic floor; modillion plaster cornice to
entrance and stair hall on both floors. c1860s stair with
turned balusters and a ramped wreathed mahogany handrail.
Stair window filled with good quality c1900 stained glass.
Principal rooms on first and second floors preserve plaster
cornices, skirtings and Italian marble and local polished
limestone chimney-pieces, mostly c1860s. Dining room at E end
of main range refurbished c1900, panelled with timber moulded
cornice and serving hatch from service corridor. Smaller first
and 2nd-floor rooms preserve C19 moulded timber
chimney-pieces. The principal rooms include a rare series of
c1900 light fittings and lampshades.
Remarkable survival of service rooms, some with flag floors,
with fittings and fixtures, including cupbords, sinks with
drainers etc Grained paintwork to most of the service rooms
and their fittings. The service rooms open off an axial
service passage with a back door to the service yard and
include, among others, the housekeeper's room; the kitchen
complete with a large cast-iron range stamped TL Harding and
Sons, Torquay and c1900 storage cupboards. Pantry and dairy
also complete, dairy with slate shelves and slatted cupboard.
Other unusual survivals are a first-floor bathroom with a
boxed cast-iron bath and a lavatory with an early C20 boarded
Shanks cistern with a top-mounted flush.
HISTORY: This house was the home of Arthur Hyde Dendy, a
Birmingham barrister and entrepreneur and one of the principal
developers of C19 Paignton. Dendy designed and supervised the
construction of the pier, opened and built hotels and
theatres, developed land and, in 1883, provided a cycling
track which was said to be the best in the country. The
corrugated-asbestos on part of the roof is said to be an
exceptionally early use of this material (information from
Borough Surveyor). The family at Parkfield are said to have
been involved in the manufacture of asbestos sheeting.
An exceptional house at time of survey, not for the
outstanding quality of its interior features, but for the
rarity of its completeness, unaltered since c1900.
(White's Directory of Devon: 1878-: 590).
Listing NGR: SX8932961228
