Building record 1252700000 - WITTINGTON, HENLEY ROAD

Grade II+. Former mansion, in process of conversion to offices 1985. Dated by latin inscription on frieze as built in 1898 and enlarged in 1909. By Sir Reginald Blomfield for Hudson Ewbanke Kearley, Lord Devonport, founder of International Stores. Red brick, Ham stone dressings, moulded wooden eaves cornice with modillions, hipped roof of Westmorland slate. Brick chimneys with stone caps, and stone keyblocks and imposts to arched recessed panels. In William and Mary style. 2 storeys, attic and cellars. N. front has 11 bays arranged in shallow E-plan with 2-bay flanking wings and slightly advanced 3-bay centre-piece. Chamfered stone quoins, flush plinth band, raised first-floor band course. 3-pane sash windows with gauged brick heads and keystones the first floor windows with stone aprons. Aprons of wings and centre-piece have carved fruit festoons. Pedimented dormers with paired leaded casements. Centre-piece takes form of blind pedimented portico with attached Ionic pilasters and entablature. Sashes within portico have shouldered architrave surrounds with keyblocks. Central 4-pane sash and door have similar surrounds with husk drops, the door with open segmental pediment containing elaborate shield with Devonport cipher and festoons. Lunette in pediment. Central octagonal wooden cupola with leaded lights, domed copper roof and wooden ball finial. Attached to right end of house is a brick screen wall with pair of gate-piers. This masks single storey service wing which has 6 bays of tripartite sashes, central louvred turret with ogee lead roof, and pair of gate piers at far end. S. front to garden, has 9 bays with sashes and dressings similar to N. front. Pedimented centre-piece has 3 first-floor sashes with voussoirs and festooned aprons, over in-set loggia with 4 Ionic columns. Round window in pediment with carved foliage surround and drops. Flanking bays have 2-storey canted bay windows. Outer bays are set back. E. front has 2 external chimneys with knapped flint and stone chequers. W. front has fine stone doorcase with banded rustication, Ionic columns, open segmental pediment, and scrolls flanking sash above. Interior: part in Jacobethan style, notably the long ground floor room in E. wing and the S.W. ground floor room with bay window. Both are panelled and have richly carved wooden overmantels to fireplaces; the latter room also has Jacobethan plasterwork with foliage scrolls and grotesques to frieze and soffits of beams. Other rooms have C18-style panelling and bolection moulded fireplaces, the hall with central screen of 2 Ionic columns, pedimented doorcases, and 2 oval windows in festoon surrounds. Open-well staircase with turned balusters. Building undergoing extensive restoration and redecoration at time of survey, 1985 (B1).
1925 1:2,500 scale plan shows site as proposed Salvation Army 'Eventide Home' (B3). 1977 1:10,000 OS map also shows site as 'Wittington Eventide Home'. Now in use as offices and training/conference centre for SAS UK computer software company.
Conservation Area designated in 1992 (B4).