Details
ROYAL LEAMINGTON SPA
SP3266SW HOLLY WALK (UPPER)
1208-1/4/179 (North side)
15/02/73 Nos.83 AND 83A
(Formerly Listed as:
HOLLY WALK (UPPER)
No.83)
GV II*
Villa. c1838. Interior c1889 (dated to staircase window) by
James Plucknett and Company of Leamington and Warwick in
Aesthetic Movement style with Renaissance and Elizabethan
Revival features. Pinkish-brown brick with painted stucco
front facade and Welsh slate roof.
PLAN: central hallway plan.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys, 3 first-floor windows, with range to
rear. Outer canted bays to full height. Plinth. Moulded
first-floor band with central engaged balustrade.
First floor: central 1/1 sash between bays with 1/1 sashes
with margin-lights to centres and upper-lights to sides, all
in tooled reveals.
Ground floor: central entrance a 4-panel door with
side-lights, beneath overlight with sidelights. Distyle Doric
porch has engaged pilasters and cornice on corbels. Windows:
bays have 1/1 sashes with margin-lights to centre and
upper-lights to sides, all in tooled reveals. Windows have
blind boxes throughout. Modillion cornice. Fish-scale roof.
Tall end stacks with cornices.
INTERIOR: drawing room, library, dining room, hall and
bedrooms all contain exceptionally fine and well preserved
features, notably carved and inlaid joinery.
Drawing room: Renaissance Revival; inlaid satinwood panelled
dado with inlaid marquetry panels, built-in china cabinet
decorated with carved caryatids and niches, fireplace surround
with caryatids and elaborate niched overmantel; carved
architraves to doors and cornices to windows; deep frieze over
picture rail painted in Pre-Raphaelite manner with classical
maidens between trees; frieze with grapes, cornice with
egg-and-dart moulding.
Library: walnut panelling with matching range of built-in
bookcases all decorated with pilasters, columns and elegant
strapwork; chimneypiece has decorative oak panel of Elizabeth
I on horseback at Tilbury Fort; door has mock bookbindings,
moulded frieze and moulded, panelled ceiling with flowers;
stained glass windows.
Dining room: oak panelling with pilasters with carved
decoration to uprights and frames for 1850 prints of
Renaissance religious works, some in situ; built-in
Renaissance Revival buffet with bulbous legs and carved panel
with feasting scene, carved with motto 'FEAST WITH BEST AND
WELCOME TO MY HOUSE'; chimneypiece has caryatids reputed to be
portraits of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and carved
hunting scene, remains of moulded plaster frieze with acanthus
scrolls, stained glass to rear windows.
Hall: arch with caryatids; openwell staircase with turned
balusters and wreathed handrail, stained glass staircase
window dated 1889 with portrait of Shakespeare, upper hall has
sunflower motifs. First floor.
Main bedroom: oak panelling with built-in wardrobes and
cupboards, strapwork decoration, stained glass to windows.
Second bedroom has mahogany panelled dado, carved fireplace
and overmantel, built-in wardrobes; pilastered architrave to
door, frieze with angels, cornice. Third bedroom,
Neo-CLassical Revival, has rosewood fireplace and overmantel,
teak door and architrave with fluted Ionic pilasters, all
inlaid with fruitwoods; ornate plaster frieze. Furniture has
inlaid ivory labels 'J. Plucknett & Co. Cabinet Works.
Warwick.'. Shutters to most windows, mainly 6-panel doors.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the Plucknett interior was first installed in
the Urquart family house in Newbold Terrace (since demolished)
and moved to this house c1908-9 by Mary Urquart. In 1892
Plucknett and Company provided the furnishings for the Royal
Pavilion at the Royal Agricultural Show held that year in the
grounds of Warwick Castle; the Elizabethan style dining room
was displayed as were some of the satinwood sitting-room
furnishings, by permission of the owner. The Company also made
the furnishings for Leamington Spa Town Hall. These fittings
were put up for auction by Sotheby's in September 1984 but not
sold. They are an important example in situ of this
Warwickshire carver's work. William Thomas built the house for
his own occupation.
Forms an architectural pair with No.85 Holly Walk (Upper)
(qv), the pair forms a group with Nos 79 & 81, and No.87 (qqv)
Holly Walk (Upp
(Cave LF: Royal Leamington Spa Its History and Development:
Chichester: 1988-: 57; Stevens A: The Woodcarvers of Warwick:
Warwick: 1980-: 33-40).
Listing NGR: SP3230366075
