Stapenhill

Reasons for Designation

Stapenhill has been designated for the following principal reasons:

* Of special architectural interest as a sophisticated and understated house in the Arts and Crafts mode by a AC Shearman, a distinguished church architect who designed only a few houses.

* The SW elevation is of particular quality, dominated by the bold, red-brick Gothic arch of the porch, balanced beautifully by the tall stack.

* The skilful massing and subtle fenestration of the gabled elevations are also of note. The house's understated, stripped-down aesthetic is quite deliberate on Shearman's part and is used to skilful effect. * The interior retains a wealth of original fittings and decorative features.

* It is a good and little-altered example of the smaller turn-of-the-century suburban house.

Details

869/0/10112 PARK ROAD 27-JUL-09 STAPENHILL

II House. 1900 designed by Ernest Charles Shearman, with minor later alterations.

MATERIALS: Red brick in Flemish bond, roughcast and tile-hanging; clay tile roofs.

PLAN: Virtually rectangular on plan, with a shallow gabled cross wing on the NE side. Entrance porch on SW elevation, entrance hall with stair to left (now concealed by modern partition) a drawing room, library and dining room on S side, a kitchen and scullery in the NE wing, plus five bedrooms and a bathroom arranged around the stair landing.

EXTERIOR: Arts and Crafts influence. Timber casement windows with leaded lights. SW elevation dominated by broad sweeping gable end and tall stack. Recessed porch behind broad Gothic arch, eight-panelled door with stained glass upper panel. Two first-floor windows, one segmental the other rectangular, at different heights. SE elevation of three bays. Canted bay windows with moulded mullions and transoms; central french window. Large gabled dormers. NE elevation: paired casements irregularly distributed; roughcast to upper part of attic gable; next to gable, roof of side of crosswing sweeps down over two ground floor projecting bays; tile-hung dormer. NW elevation: upper part of cross gable tile-hung; first floor to next bay also tile-hung, beyond this the roof is on three different plains, terminating in large stack at NW.

INTERIOR: Eight-panelled hardwood doors to ground floor rooms in same style as front door. Stair (enclosed behind modern partition) has square balusters and unusual triple newel posts on the landing. Drawing room has chimneypiece to angle with timber overmantel. Fire surround is concave with coloured small enamelled glazed tiles; original grate. Landing has open timber stair to attic on S side. Attic door made from reused cut-down C17 panelling. The attic is an interesting space, in the manner of a long gallery.

The house has a wealth of original joinery and fittings throughout, including the well-crafted and unusual panelled doors to the ground floor, the stair, and a number of chimneypieces, some with good Arts and Crafts tiles.

HISTORY: Stapenhill, originally named Byrnelmscote, was designed in 1899 by the architect Ernest Charles Shearman for his mother. Shearman purchased the freehold in 1907 and lived there until his death in 1939.

Ernest Charles Shearman (1859-1939) was articled to Charles Barry Junior from 1876-1888. From 1888-1891 he was architect to the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway and is credited with a considerable amount of work - railway, ecclesiastical and domestic - in Argentina during his short stay. His catalogue of works in Britain however is relatively short. Shearman specialised in Anglo-Catholic church design, where he established his characteristically austere, boldly-massed brand of continental brick Gothic, including St Silas, Hampstead (1911-13); St Barnabas, Ealing (1914-16) and St Francis of Assisi, Hounslow (1933-5).

REASON FOR DESIGNATION Stapenhill is designated for the following principal reasons:

* Of special architectural interest as a sophisticated and understated house in the Arts and Crafts mode by a AC Shearman, a distinguished church architect who designed only a few houses.

* The SW elevation is of particular quality, dominated by the bold, red-brick Gothic arch of the porch, balanced beautifully by the tall stack.

* The skilful massing and subtle fenestration of the gabled elevations are also of note. The house's understated, stripped-down aesthetic is quite deliberate on Shearman's part and is used to skilful effect. * The interior retains a wealth of original fittings and decorative features.

* It is a good and little-altered example of the smaller turn-of-the-century suburban house.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

503692

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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