Reasons for Designation
Woodhambury and Woodbrow, built as Woodhambury in 1889 by WF Unsworth, has been designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* An example of a Vernacular Revival house built by the architect for himself.
* Although divided in two it is sufficiently intact to reflect the original plan and purpose and includes some particularly good fittings.
* It demonstrates Unsworth's interest in garden design.
Details
71/0/10055 WOODHAM LANE
13-JAN-10 493 and 495
Woodhambury and Woodbrow and attached ga
rden terraces
II
House, 1889 by WF Unsworth for himself in Vernacular Revival manner. Divided in two in the 1950s.
MATERIALS: Deep shallow red brick in Flemish bond, the upper floors pebble-dash rendered. Gables are tile-hung under red plain tile roofs which are half-hipped at the north-east end.
PLAN: It is a long low-slung building overlooking terraced gardens on the south-east front and is, in the case of the principal rooms, a single room in depth. The dining room and drawing room are either side of an entrance and staircase hall, with the services at the north-east end. The gabled bay contains the former billiard room, which is lit by windows on both elevations. On the first and upper floor, landings were truncated when the house was divided. Woodbrow has an inserted or replaced staircase.
EXTERIOR: The entrance front is asymmetrically set out with strong horizontal lines of small irregularly placed windows. The front door is toward the northern end and flanked by narrow vertical windows with shaped heads. The door is of oak plank and frame construction with ornate iron hinges. The upper floor and gabled bay are jettied, with a moulded bressumer, on the gabled bay on plain first floor brackets. Ground floor windows are three-light casements with shutters on strap hinges. The gable bay has a six-light mullion and transom ground floor window, the first floor has a pair of two-light casements under a single shallow drip mould and the attic has a three-light window. The gable is hung in fishscale tiles with a band of plain tiles at the base. Windows are single, two, three and four-light casements in oak frames with metal framed lights with rectangular leaded panes and ornate ironmongery. The landing window over the entrance is canted in the form of a small oriel window and supported on timber brackets. Above each three-light first floor window is a three-light dormer under a half-hipped tile roof. Tall brick stacks have grouped shafts with moulded caps and are set just below the ridge. The garden front has a three bay verandah on moulded timber shafts flanked by square bays with mullion and transom windows, which on the dining room side wrap round the bay. All are under a continuous tile roof with exposed rafter feet. At the rear of the verandah are casement windows with moulded canopies and part-glazed doors with plain lower panels. The floor is paved in brick. First floor windows are asymmetrically arranged leaded casements with three dormers above - the central dormer gable with shaped bargeboards the outer dormers half-hipped. The gabled bay reflects the front elevation with a ground floor mullion and transom window, a first floor oriel similar to that over the front door, and a similar gable. Brickwork on the garden front suggests alterations were made, probably by the early-C20. The south-west gable wall has paired gabled roofs each with a single casement over two-light first floor windows. The north-east gable wall is half-hipped and tile-hung with small first floor and gable windows.
The verandah leads to brick paved terraces which we believe were part of Unsworth's design for the house and grounds. The upper levels are intact, with their original paved and brick surfaces and brick retaining walls. In keeping with Unsworth's ideas they connected the house to the gardens which as an early photograph shows, originally extended to the canal. The lower level is added or altered and is excluded from the listing.
INTERIOR: The hall contains an oak and softwood framed staircase behind an arcade of moulded posts and plain spandrels. The stair has turned newels and balusters and a moulded oak rail. From first floor to attic the stair balustrade is similar with square newels, turned balusters and a moulded rail. The rear of the front door is in twelve panels with a central hinged letterbox. Hall floors are of wood block with a dark wood fillet. The dining room, including the doors and panels beneath the windows, is fully lined in oak in small panels beneath a dentil cornice. The ceiling has a quarter moulded cornice and chamfered beams. The fireplace is of moulded stone with brick linings. A panelled hatch and counter opens onto the kitchen, where the rear is similarly panelled. Doors have elaborate brass fittings. The sitting room has a large inglenook chimneypiece in a moulded architrave with a deep dentil cornice and moulded stone fireplace. Ceiling mouldings are similar. Ground floor doors are of seven panels many with brass fittings. The billiard room has exposed boxed beams and chamfered joists, a stone moulded fireplace similar to those in the main house, and similar panelled doors and door furniture. The adjoining room, which was probably remodelled after the house was subdivided, has light classical mouldings and fireplace. At first floor level the landings have been truncated and some rooms reconfigured. Rooms retain fireplaces with eared architraves, cornices and doors or three panels. Attic rooms have cast iron fireplaces and grates; doors are two-panelled. Windows internally have moulded mullions and deep cills.
HISTORY: The house was built in 1889 by WF Unsworth (1851-1912) for himself. Unsworth designed several buildings in the area including Christ Church Woking, 1889 (Grade II), All Saints Woodham, 1893 (Grade II) and also worked on the Church of St Mary the Virgin Woking (Grade II*). His early work, such as the French Gothic inspired Shakespeare Memorial Theatre and Library, Stratford upon Avon, reflected his training with GE Street and William Burges. He set up independent practice in 1875, in partnership with EJ Dodgshun (1854-1927), after which he moved towards the traditional ideas of the Vernacular Revival. Towards the end of his career he worked in partnership with his son Gerald Unsworth, and landscape designer Inigo Triggs. Unsworth was keenly interested in garden planning, which he considered an essential component of the design of a house, expressed in his own garden at Restalls, Steep. His obituary noted the chapel of King's School Warwick and Rossall School Chapel, houses at Harrogate and Burnham. Listed examples of work attributed to him include the medieval church of St Mary Runwell, Essex (Grade I), his own home Restalls, and Ashford Chance, both in Steep near Petersfield and both Grade II.
SOURCES: RIBA Journal, 19 Oct 1912, 750
I Nairn & N Pevsner, Buildings of England, Surrey (1982), 538
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: Woodhambury and Woodbrow, built as Woodhambury in 1889 by WF Unsworth, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* An example of a Vernacular Revival house built by the architect for himself.
* Although divided in two it is sufficiently intact to reflect the original plan and purpose and includes some particularly good fittings.
* It demonstrates Unsworth's interest in connecting a house to its setting.
