Hawkshill Cottage and the Lodge

Details

374/0/10114 OLD CHESTNUT AVENUE 01-AUG-07 7 AND 8 Hawkshill Cottage and The Lodge

GV II Pair of lodge cottages, dated 1882, built for Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, who held the Claremont Estate from 1879-1884.

MATERIALS: Red brick, with gauged brick and stone dressings, slate roofs.

PLAN: Pair of symmetrical semi-detached cottages, joined longitudinally. The main elevation, in three bays, articulated under a pediment, faces Old Chestnut Avenue. The entrances are in the return elevations, again symmetrical in three bays. Each cottage is of two cells with a central stair, and with rear services. The Lodge has been extended to the rear and side, Hawkshill Cottage has been extended over the original rear services. The C20 and later extensions are not of special interest.

EXTERIOR: The Old Chestnut Avenue elevation is symmetrical, the centre bay breaking forward under a brick pediment. Set under a semicircular arch is a large brick crest inscribed CLAREMONT AD 1882, with the cipher LH (Leopold and Helen, his wife). Below is a blind arched recess containing a gauged brick arch. Flanking the centre bay on each storey is a single small paned horned sash. A continuous brick storey band runs across the front and side elevations and formerly across the rear. Moulded brick entablature. Broad stone copings to the pediment which is flanked by freestanding moulded blocking course. The north west elevation (Hawkshill Cottage) has a central pedimented doorcase supported on slender panelled pilasters with a tall entablature frames a door of four panels under a three-light overlight. To left and right a small paned horned sash window. At first floor three pivot hung small paned windows. The south-east elevation (The Lodge) is identical but without a doorcase. The rear gable parapet has stone coping. Two axial stacks have moulded brick caps.

INTERIOR: The Lodge stair has turned balusters with ball finials and stick balusters; doors of four panels some beneath a glazed overlight; a pair of fireplaces, on the ground floor timber with round headed cast iron grate, on the first floor cast iron with a similar grate with some replaced parts. Hawkshill Cottage was not inspected internally but is said to retain its plan form and fittings.

HISTORY: The building is dated 1882 and marks the entrance to Old Chestnut Avenue laid out by Prince Leopold, son of Queen Victoria, who briefly held the Claremont Estate from 1879 until his death in 1884; he married in 1882. The trees forming the avenue survive. Claremont landscape gardens is one of the most notable early C18 landscapes in the country, with work by Vanbrugh, Kent and Bridgeman. The park was laid out by Lancelot Brown c1777 with a new house by Henry Holland. Many other structures in the park survive, including Holland's lodges, also 1777, at the entrance to Claremont Drive, the walled garden and the early C18 ice house and ice house pond. The northern tip of the park is partly golf course, surrounded by privately owned housing. The lodges are on the fringe of this development. The gardens and park are registered Grade I, Claremont House is listed Grade I, and the Holland lodges Grade II. Old Chestnut Avenue is within the boundary of the registered landscape.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION

This pair of lodges dated 1882 built for Prince Leopold, are designated for the following reasons:

* They are a well thought out design, the principal features of which survive. * They are unusual, being a semi-detached pair of near symmetrical lodge cottages. * They are a well-documented element of the exceptional landscape of the Claremont Estate which is registered Grade I and contains outstanding early C18 structures and house of 1777, the majority of which are designated. * The Old Chestnut Avenue is included in the registered landscape.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

503885

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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