Kent's Chemist

Summary

Chemist's shop, with formerly residential accommodation over and behind, 1894; built to the designs of Messers Tinker and Morewood of Southampton Row, London for the Kent family.

Reasons for Designation

Kent’s Chemist, 104 Walton Road, East Molesey, built to the designs of Messers Tinker and Morewood of Southampton Row, London for the Kent family in 1894, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: in its strong decorative treatment, particularly the shopfront with distinctive mosaic signage, the building is testament to the imaginative approach to commercial architecture of the period, as well as clearly expressing its history and function in its design and detail;
* Historic interest: as a purpose-built manifestation of a longstanding local family business;
* Level of survival: in its unusually complete exterior survival.

History

No. 104 Walton Road, known as 'Kent's Chemist', was built in 1894 by the Kent family, and it remained in their ownership until the early 1960s. Three chemists by the name of Kent are recorded in East Molesey; their respective dates of qualification suggest their relationship being that of father, son, and grandson. A building contract dated 1894 identifies the owner of the plot which was to become 104 Walton Road as being a Beatrice Mary Kent of Walton Place, East Molesey. The builder was Joseph Dorking, and the architect was Messers Tinker and Morewood of Southampton Row, London.

Frederick William Kent of Walton Place, qualified in 1869, which tallies with the 'Established A.D.1869' date-stone on the building, but he died in 1890 (before the Walton Road premises was built); by 1902, William Henry Plaisted Kent is recorded as having moved from Walton Place to Walton Road; and Frederick Charles Kent is identifiable as the owner of 104 Walton Road from 1936 to his death in 1962. The signage on the building indicates that it also served as a post office originally.

The mosaic shop sign on the building names it as 'Molesey Park Pharmacy', and gives the name 'Kent' over the door. A name plaque over the door to the accommodation behind and above the shop reads 'Norfolk House', this possibly being a residential part of the building, occupied by the Kent family. It appears to have either been extended at some point, or the difference in brick colour may indicate a substantive repair, possibly after bomb damage, although this is speculative. Beyond Norfolk House is a large modern single-storey extension which provides additional shop space and is excluded from the listing.

Details

Chemist's shop, and former residential accommodation over and behind, 1894; built to the designs of Messers Tinker and Morewood of Southampton Row, London for the Kent family.

PLAN: the building is situated on a corner plot; the main shopfront faces north onto Walton Road, and the west flank elevation faces onto Spencer Road. The original shop is contained within the principal corner block, which is two storeys high with an attic level within a steep mansard roof. To the south of this, fronting onto Spencer Road, is the part of the building named as Norfolk House; this is two storeys high, with a part mansard, part flat, roof, and the accommodation continues into the front block, over the original shop. Thought to be former residential accommodation, Norfolk House is now occupied by the chemist's shopfloor at ground floor, and offices and treatment rooms above.

MATERIALS: the main building is of red brick construction with yellow brick banding; Norfolk House is of yellow brick construction with red brick banding. The windows are part-leaded timber casements, and the roofs are tiled where they have a pitch.

EXTERIOR: the main corner block is in a Domestic Revival idiom. It has two bays to the north, turning a curved corner to two bays to the west. The windows are painted timber with a mullion and transom, and octagonal leaded quarries in the upper lights. A plaster-work plaque between the two first-floor windows to the north reads 'established A.D. 1869'. There is a mullioned dormer window to the north and west; that to the north has a pedimented plasterwork date plaque over its head ('A.D. 1894'), and that to the west is divided in two by a plasterwork plaque with an inscribed cartouche and the letter 'K'. Also to the west is a chimney with decorative brickwork and an inset panel of patterned terracotta tiles.

The lower part of the ground floor is clad in brown glazed bricks, with the main part of the shopfront to the north. The shopfront comprises two large windows divided vertically by a split turned mullion with an acorn finial, and horizontally by a transom. The position of the transom would have corresponded with the interior location of the carboy shelf. Traditionally chemists would display carboys (large glass containers for the storage of chemicals) filled with coloured liquids on shelves inside their windows as a way of identifying themselves as chemists. The shelf within the shop has gone. The upper lights of the shop window have a small timber spandrel with pendant in the top corners, and above this is a row of small square coloured bulls-eye glass lights with a ventilation plate in the centre. The windows have a deep, heavily-moulded cill and are flanked by shallow brick pilasters. The window lintel is painted stone, above which is a fascia, framed by a brick cornice above, and a moulded brick band below. The stall-risers and fascia have mosaic signage; white lettering set against a turquoise ground read 'chymist' and 'druggist' below the shop window, and 'Molesey Park Pharmacy' above.

The shop door is on the corner of the building; it is a curved, half-glazed, double door, with corner spandrels and pendants, and a band of small bulls-eye glass lights to match the shop window. Over the door is a rectangular fanlight which also follows the curve of the building. This is divided into a geometric pattern by glazing bars and is glazed with leaded coloured bulls-eye glass lights. Above, the mosaic fascia spells the word 'Kent'. The shopfront continues around the corner to a single narrow bay; the shop window matches that to the north but is much narrower. The fascia mosaic here is very faded, but the words 'Molesey Park Post Office' can just be made out. The stall riser is blank – this may have had another mosaic, but if so it is either lost or covered. Beyond this short stretch of shopfront is a pair of canted bay windows.

Norfolk House is irregular in composition, but could be said to have three bays. The entrance bay, closest to the main block, has a mansard roof and a leaded window with painted stone surround over an inset name plaque and a wide door. The door has four panels and an upper panel glazed with coloured decorative leaded lights; to either side are leaded margin lights. The other two bays have six-over-one sash windows and a flat roof behind a brick parapet. The lighter colour of the southernmost bay suggests it is a newer addition, but the brick coursing and details have been carefully matched. A late C20/early C21 entrance door has been inserted into this bay.

INTERIOR: the interior at ground floor has been heavily remodelled to allow the shop to extend into Norfolk House and the later addition to the rear. Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that the late C20 shop fittings and suspended ceilings in the ground floor of the building are not of special architectural or historic interest.

The upper floors of Norfolk House and the corner block retain some historic joinery such as panelled doors, architraves, and the upper part of the main stair which has turned balusters and newels with pendants. Several cast iron fire surrounds remain.

Sources

Other
Information relating to the building's history provided by the East Molesey Conservation Areas Advisory Committee

End of official list entry

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