Details
774-1/13/399 QUEENS CRESCENT
25-SEP-72 SOUTHSEA
(East side)
BRANKESMERE AND ATTACHED WALLS AND PIERS
(Formerly listed as:
QUEENS CRESCENT
SOUTHSEA
BYCULLA HOUSE (POLICE STATION))
II
PORTSMOUTH
SZ6499 QUEEN'S CRESCENT, Southsea
774-1/13/399 (East side)
25/09/72 Brankesmere and attached walls &
piers
(Formerly Listed as:
QUEEN'S CRESCENT, Southsea
Byculla House (police station))
GV II
Villa, later police station and finally social services offices. 1895-96, restored late C20. Architect AE Cogswell for Henry Brickwood, owner of Brickwoods brewery. An elaborate and eccentric composition with Jacobean, Tyrolean and French influences. Red brick in Flemish bond with some grey brick diaperwork, applied eclectic timber framing with pargetting, mostly to the first floor and attic gables and some stone dressings. Plain tiled roof with ornamental brick stacks with group of 4 to left of rear pitch and group of 8 on far right, stone gryphons to gable ends and central ogee-shaped lead dome with Brickwood monogram on the weathervane. Asymmetrical building of two storeys and attics, windows mainly mullioned or mullioned and transomed casements with some leaded lights but some sash windows to the north west.
EXTERIOR: Main entrance front to west facing Queen's Crescent has left and right bays projecting with gables. On left 4 stone steps lead to porch with 2-leaf carved panelled door with over-light, flanking carved wood pilasters, 2 ornamental brackets support beams with lion head stops and moulded pediment. First floor has tripartite wood mullion and transomed casement with patterned leaded lights, facing jettied gable with shaped brackets and bargeboard. Each of the flanking wings has stone cornice with jettied and bracketed first floor, dentilled wood cornice and tiled hipped roof with ridge at eaves level of bay. Return on left and on right each has 2 narrow transomed casements with stained glass diamond pattern leaded lights to ground and first floors. On right the recessed bay has a tripartite stone mullion and transomed casement with patterned leaded lights, rusticated stone jambs, stone panels over head with trefoil carvings. First floor has similar tripartite casement set under segmental stone arch, facing jettied gable with ornate carved supporting brackets. Set within gable is a 3-light diamond patterned casement with projecting moulded wood surround. To rear of roof is a large square rooflight with lead covered ogee roof and weathervane. On right, projecting bay has on first floor a 2-light wood mullion and transomed casement, each light with cusped head, jettied attic with small 2-light diamond pattern lead lighted casement with trefoil timber work below sill. On right is a turret, round on ground floor and octagonal above first floor. 3 long wood transomed casements, each with cusped head set within splayed and rusticated stone surround, ornately carved stonework to first floor with 3 narrow mullioned casements, deep projecting bracketed eaves and tiled splay footed spirelet.
South elevation facing Kent Road is 4 bays wide, has similar brickwork with rusticated stone quoins and dressings and on first floor ornate timber frame with quatrefoil motifs and pargeting. Centre part projects with 5 light wood mullion and transomed casements, bracketed projecting balcony, and turned wood columns rise to support projecting facing gable. octagonal corner turret to west with spire, square bay set diagonally to the east and wooden and glazed porch.
South east elevation has two large gables with eclectic timberframing but mid C20 extensions to the ground floor, not of special interest.
North west elevation has a series of timberframed gables, timberframed square bay to right hand side, tall leaded light window to the right hand gable and sash windows with glazing bars to the upper parts only to the left.
5 stone steps on side lead to open verandah area with low stone flanking walls with pierced panels and piers each with moulded cap and stone ball finial.
INTERIOR: Mosaic flooring to the entrance area leads to the full height staircase hall with elaborate arched entrance, massive Jacobean style chimneypiece with deep carving, elaborate carved settle with shelving, pedimented doorcases with strapwork panelled doors and staircase with twisted balusters, square newel posts, linenfold dado panelling and arched gallery with panelling and skylights. There is an ornamental tiled dado to the gallery with dragons heads and floral designs. There is a coved cornice over the staircase with similar tilework and elaborate ceiling rose. There are strapwork designs to the ceilings and cornices and the drawing Room has a plastered cornice in mid C18 French style and deep modillion cornice. The first floor East Morning Room has two pairs of curved doors, moulded cornice, ceiling with floral motifs, dado rail to walls and elaborate fireplace with two tiers of swags, engaged Composite columns and blue and white patterned tiled surround. The south eastern bedroom has a ceiling with geometrical patterns and pedimented doorcases. The service area has original plain tiling in two shades of green, brown , yellow and black.
HISTORY: Built for Henry Brickwood of the Brickwood brewing family who was also the founder of Portsmouth Football Club. Henry Brickwood was Knighted in 1904 and became a Baronet in 1927.
An exuberant 1890s house built for a wealthy brewery owner drawing stylistic influences from many sources and with a complete interior with similar details to Brickwoods public houses of the same period.
(Lloyd DW: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs:Portsmouth: 1974-: 102, 103).
Listing NGR: SZ6425599150
