11-25, WALTON WELL ROAD

Reasons for Designation

This prominent late C19 building, already in the North Oxford Victorian Suburb Conservation Area, used grand architectural forms, lavish carved ashlar detail and elaborate cast iron balconies as a means of advertising for the adjoining ironworks. Its most remarkable feature is a series of carvings showing Old Testament scenes of the life of Elijah: a seemingly unique instance of a blblically decorated High Victorian terrace. It is designated at grade II.

Details

612/0/10130 WALTON WELL ROAD 07-OCT-08 11-25

II BUILDING: Terrace of 8 houses.

DATE: 1883

ARCHITECT: Built by the speculative brothers, Curtis Brothers.

MATERIALS: Yellow brick with flush red and blue brick strings and arches, and offset red eaves with yellow dentils; stone window dressings; steep slate roof; brick chimneys.

PLAN: Linear row

FAÇADE: Terrace of 8 houses. 1883. Built by architects, Curtis Brothers. 2 storeys and attic. 8 gables to front, 2 to centre stepped with stone coping. Each house has a canted ground-floor bay window with hipped slate roof, and a first-floor sash with a rounded brick arch over a carved stone tympanum. Tympana illustrate 9 Old Testament scenes of the life of Elijah, including Elijah being fed by ravens, Elijah with his mantle dividing the Jordan, and Elijah ascending to heaven in a fiery chariot. Further sash in gable above. No. 11 has double front with gabled dormer to left. All sashes have original marginal glazing and ovolo-moulded ashlar jambs. To left of each house is a porch recess with brick arch to front, stone steps, 4-panel door, very narrow side lights and marginally-glazed toplight. Nos. 19 and 25 retain garden paths with diaper-pattern tiles.

INTERIORS: Not seen.

HISTORY: Terrace of 8 houses built by the speculative builders, Curtis Brothers in 1883. This was at a time when the meadows lying east of the Oxford canal in the Walton Bridge area, which had formerly been at the edge of north Oxford surburban development, were built upon for extensive residential terraced housing. Preceding the surburban housing growth, several factories had been sited along the canal, southwards from Walton Bridge. This particular terrace is situated adjacent to the Eagle ironworks, founded in 1826.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: This is a late terrace of 1883, but of special interest for its series of carved stone tympana over the first-floor windows. These tympana illustrate Old Testament scenes of the life of Elijah and are intricately carved with small figures, animals, rocks and foliage. The terrace is also of interest for its complete set of marginally glazed sashes, rare at this late date. Doors, with side lights and marginally glazed over lights are also original, and the character of the terrace remains unaltered and strongly distinctive. Its otherwise simple architectural style suggests a strong moral flavour that accords with the biblical theme. Recommended for listing.

SOURCES: Oxford City Engineers' Archives 832A OS SP5050407282

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

493672

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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