Reasons for Designation
Kinders is designated for the following principal reasons:
* It is an important, and increasingly rare, survival of an intact mid C19 villa complete with its original grounds
* The reserved and carefully executed Italianate styling has produced a well-proportioned and balanced composition that also incorporates elements of the Greek Revival style
* Both the exterior and interior of the house, and attached rear ancillary ranges, are remarkably well preserved with only minor alteration
* The interior incorporates highly decorative features, and employs the use of high quality materials and craftsmanship throughout
* Original features survive throughout including marble, tiled and parquet flooring, decorative fireplaces, classical doorcases and moulded architraves, servants' call system, main open-well stair, panelled doors, and stained glass incorporated into windows and doors
Details
1755/0/10050 DIBBINSDALE
15-JAN-09 Bromborough
Kinders
II
Large detached villa, mid C19, stucco, shallow hipped slate roof, deep eaves, Italianate style, 2 storeys plus attic. Two single storey rear ancillary ranges of stuccoed brick with pitched slate roofs
PLAN: Regular plan of rooms arranged around central stair hall. Upper floors of rear part of house set 1/2 storey below front part of house. Service rooms to ground floor rear and in projecting linear ancillary wings.
EXTERIOR: Main house: Stuccoed chimneystacks. Raised quoins and sill bands to all elevations. Original sash windows to all elevations (taller ground floor bay windows contain 2-over-4 to centre lights and 1-over-2 sashes to side lights), casements to attic windows. Rear section of house is slightly lower in height than front part of house. Front (SE) elevation: 3-bays. Central projecting entrance porch surmounted by a balustrade with paired Ionic columns to each side, decorative patterned tiled floor, moulded cornicing to underside of porch ceiling. Main entrance comprised of partly glazed double doors with rectangular fielded panels to lower parts, doors set within partly glazed surround incorporating slender flanking pilasters and dentil cornice, geometric patterned tiling to step, doorway flanked by pilaster strips with banded rustication. 2-storey bay windows with slender side lights to two outer bays of front elevation (canted to ground floor). Slender paired arched windows with shared surround incorporating pilasters to first floor centre above entrance porch, single arched window with similar surround to attic above set within raised gable. Half-dormer windows with arched heads to attic level of outer bays. Left side (SW) elevation: Projecting wide gabled bay to right with 2-storey bay windows (ground floor bay projects slightly further than that to first floor), paired arched windows to attic in same style as those to front elevation, decorative timber fretwork to gable. Slightly lower rear section to left of gabled bay with 2-storey projecting bay with paired multipane sashes to front (taller to ground floor) and slender side lights, attic window behind and above. Sash windows with moulded surrounds to far left of elevation at each floor level. Right side (NE) elevation: Wide gabled bay in same style as that to left (SW) side elevation with additional 2-over-2 sash window set within moulded surround to right of first floor bay window. Large 2-storey canted bay windows to centre right of elevation surmounted by balustrade, half-dormer window with arched head set behind balustrade to attic. Sash windows with moulded surrounds to far right of ground and first floor, smaller blind window to second floor/lower attic level. Rear (NW) elevation: Wide arched 11-light stained glass window to first floor centre right (lighting rear sitting area/landing) with raised surround incorporating keystone. Sash windows of varying sizes to rest of elevation, two blind windows to second floor/lower attic level. Partly glazed door with porch to centre of ground floor. Rear ancillary ranges project from rear of house in continuation of side elevations, facing into small central rear yard area. SE half of rear right range forms service flat/accommodation. Plank and batten doors and 3-over-3 sash windows to both yard elevations (two windows replaced to rear right range). Stuccoed ridge stack to rear right range (stack removed to rear left range). Garden elevation of rear right range in similar style, 4-bays to SE end comprises flat with 4-panel door with flanking windows.
INTERIOR: Parquet floors to principal ground floor reception rooms, geometric patterned tiled floors to rear left service rooms, timber floorboards to upper floors. Original and early features survive throughout including 4-panel doors, classical doorcases to principal ground floor rooms, moulded door architraves to upper floors and rear rooms, moulded cornicing and skirtings, highly decorative late C19/early C20 fireplaces to principal ground floor rooms, mid C19 marble and timber fireplaces to upper floors with decorative moulded cast-iron inserts, window shutters, built-in cupboards, servants' call system and call box. Inner vestibule with partly glazed double doors incorporating decorative leaded glazing and stained glass and set within similarly styled surround, geometric patterned tiled floor with decorative border, wall panelling to lower section of walls, inserted opening to NE wall for visitor reception. Central stair hall with chequerboard marble floor, plain coffered ceiling, elaborate carved timber fireplace with tiled hearth and cheeks with marble border and decorative brass hood, main timber open-well stair set to rear of hall with alternating stick and turned balusters, carved newel posts and brackets. Front left ground floor room with windows to front and side, moulded picture rail and raised wall panels, late C19/early C20 elaborate timber fireplace with overmantle incorporating shelving and glazed cupboards, tiled hearth and cheeks, marble hearth edge. Front right ground floor room with windows to front and side, painted wall panelling to lower parts of walls surmounted by narrow dentil cornice, timber fireplace with decorative overmantle incorporating slender Doric-style columns and entablature. Dining room with later panelled ceiling, decorative timber fireplace incorporating full-height fluted columns and small glazed cupboards with decorative strap hinges below mantlepiece. Kitchen to rear left with range, small service room to rear partly converted into disabled toilet. Sitting area/rear landing off main stair half-landing with wide arched stained glass window depicting bird imagery, kitchen inserted to small room off to rear left. Replaced egg and dart moulding to first floor landing, three horizontal windows inserted to NW wall of room to centre front of first floor. Arched opening to second floor half-landing with keystone and decorative paired consoles. Partly glazed partition wall inserted to attic landing behind stair balustrade. Rear ancillary ranges: SE half of rear right range forms staff flat (also incorporates two service rooms to rear of main house) with original 4-panel doors, some built-in cupboards, and original fireplace. Storage and workshops to NW end. Rear left range contains workshop accommodation and gas production room. Stone flag floor, brick fireplace and chimneybreast to workshop.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: House and gardens enclosed by snecked red sandstone wall with triangular ashlar copings, tall ashlar gate piers set to SE side facing Allport Road with blind panels to each face with chamfered edges, moulded entablature above surmounted by pyramidal caps, each pier displays carved lettering reading 'KINDERS'.
HISTORY: The exact date of construction of Kinders is unknown but it is believed to be in the mid C19. It is depicted on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map published in 1876. The architect is unknown, as are details of the families who lived there. The house was originally known as Freelands and changed its name to Kinders in the early C20 (it is recorded as Freelands on a map published in 1899, and Kinders on a map published in 1912). The building has been in use as offices since the mid C20 and has incurred very little alteration. The 1876 map depicts a mostly detached extension to the rear right of the house, which is not present on the 1899 map. A glasshouse to the N of the house also appears to have been removed in the mid-late C20.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: Kinders is designated at grade II for the following principal reasons:
* It is an important, and increasingly rare, survival of an intact mid C19 villa complete with its original grounds
* The reserved and carefully executed Italianate styling has produced a well-proportioned and balanced composition that also incorporates elements of the Greek Revival style
* Both the exterior and interior of the house, and attached rear ancillary ranges, are remarkably well preserved with only minor alteration
* The interior incorporates highly decorative features, and employs the use of high quality materials and craftsmanship throughout
* Original features survive throughout including marble, tiled and parquet flooring, decorative fireplaces, classical doorcases and moulded architraves, servants' call system, main open-well stair, panelled doors, and stained glass incorporated into windows and doors
