Details
BRIGHTON
TQ3303SW ARUNDEL TERRACE
577-1/55/11 (North side)
13/10/52 Nos.1-13 (Consecutive)
Arundel House (12 and 13)
I
Terraced houses. 1824-1828. Designed by Amon Wilds and Charles
Augustin Busby for Thomas Read Kemp. Stucco. Roofs of Nos 10,
12 and 13 of slate, the rest obscured by parapet.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys and attic over basement; Nos 8 and 12 have
dormers as well. 3 windows each.
The entire terrace treated as a single, bilaterally
symmetrical composition of projecting, porticoed bays and
recessed, connecting ranges. The centre 5 units, Nos 5-9, have
giant Composite pilasters and columns, detailed below; the
giant Composite order appears again on the end units, Nos 1
and 13 (the latter part of Arundel House). The rhythm of
constituent bays can be notated thus: ac, b, b, b, aa, a, c,
a, aa, b, b, b, ac.
Apart from this overall emphasis the architects gave the
terrace visual unity by treating the ground floors as a base
of banded rustication from which the giant orders rise; the
boldly scaled entablature and cornice are continuous across
the terrace as well.
The climax of the composition, labelled "c" above, is No.7,
which projects further forward than any other unit, its ground
floor serving as a true base for giant tetrastyle portico of
Composite columns to the first and second floors; responds of
Composite pilasters; the entablature capped by a balustrade
which encloses the only attic porch. The windows of the attic
storey, like all those in the pilastered bays are separated
into 3 bays by pilaster strips topped by a plain cornice and
low parapet. All windows in terrace are flat arched.
The flat-arched entrance of No.7 reached by flight of steps,
the whole enclosed by a distyle in antis porch, the side walls
of which are by windows; only the entrance porches of the end
units are of the same scale and type and will be described
below. All entrances flat arched, but few with original doors
or hardware. French doors to first floor of every unit are
exceptionally tall; sashes of original design to No.7, 2
panels to transom, and 3 to each door, margin lights at sides
and top; cast-iron balconies to first floor. The entrance of
No.7 set to right party wall, the rest whether enclosed by
porches or not are set to the left. The ground floors of Nos 5
and 9, labelled "aa" above, project to serve as a base for a
tetrastyle portico of giant, attached Composite order: there
are pilasters at the party walls and attached columns between.
The intermediary centre units, Nos 6 and 8, labelled "a"
above, do not project as far forward as any other bay in the
centre, but have a giant order of pilaster similar to Nos 5
and 9. The entrances to Nos 3, 5, 9-12 are set under porches
of similar design: entablature supported by antae of the Doric
order, side walls pierced by round-arched windows. The end
units, labelled "ac" above, are, like No.7, "c", wider than
the rest; their tetrastyle is made from giant attached columns
of the Composite order; entablature and pilastered attic.
Arundel House, No.13, has an elaborate return with steps up to
a round-arched entrance set under a tetrastyle portico porch
of the Doric order; balustrade above encloses a porch.
There have been many alterations to the original scheme, some
recent and others dating from near the time of completion;
these will now be described. There is a continuous cast-iron
porch to the first floor and entrance porch of all except Nos
5, 7 and 13. First floor of No.4 has a verandah; the centre
window of the attic has been lengthened and now interrupts the
cornice. Balcony added to centre-window range, second floor of
No.5; door of original design with sidelights and margin
lights to overlight. The centre window in the attic of No.6 is
blocked. No.8 has been insensitively altered in the late C20:
glazed porch to first and second floors encloses giant
pilasters and attached columns; attic pilasters gone; C20
balustrade and extra storey added to roof. No.9 currently
under restoration; side lights to door; solarium of C20 added
to roof of entrance porch. Cornice of No.10 cut back when
attic windows lengthened; 4-panelled, studded door of original
design; glazing bars of original design to first-floor French
door transoms. Solarium of C20 added to verandah over entrance
porch of No.11.
By far the most noteworthy variation from the common type can
be found on No.1. Salomonic shafts added to the corner of the
porch which has a cornice of cable moulding, coving and nail
heads continuing across the ground floor; all openings have
billeted architraves; each ground-floor window has a
projecting sill moulded as a cable and a hood moulding in a
diamond pattern. The effect of these details is to give an
otherwise Classical elevation a decidedly eastern, or
"Moorish" flavour, intended as a reference to the Royal
Pavilion (qv). The attic windows of No.1 are, unlike the rest
in the terrace, camber arched. Stacks to party and end walls.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
Railings to areas and entrances not enclosed by porches; low
wall at east end of terrace closes the range off.
HISTORICAL NOTE: No.5 was lived in by the novelist William
Henry Ainsworthy (1887-1967). No.13, Arundel House, was
finished in 1826 when it was opened as the Bush Hotel by
William Bush. In 1850 the hotel was moved and No.13 became a
private house; in 1910 it became a rest home and after 1950 a
guest house.
Arundel Terrace was the first part of the Kemp Town estate to
be finished. The complete Kemp Town layout constitutes a most
important group.
(Carder T: The Encyclopaedia of Brighton: Lewes: 1990-: 81B).
Listing NGR: TQ3334603422
