13 Newcastle Drive

One of a pair of houses (with No.11) c1859, possibly by architect T. C. Hine. Hine completed a number of early houses prominently positioned along this section of Newcastle Drive, (formerly named Lower Newcastle Terrace). Three storeys plus basement. Converted into flats mid 20c.Red brick facades with buff brick features, ashlar dressings and hipped slate roof. House located on steeply sloping site with terraced garden areas. Lower part of original garden adjacent to Tennis Drive (formerly named Valley Drive and Huntingdon Drive), lost to residential development of ‘townhouses’ c1968. Part of basement well adjacent to Newcastle Drive now built over. External staircase added, late 20c, to side facade to provide access to upper flats with entrance doorway formed within original round arched window opening to staircase area. Small flat roofed side extensions added. Red brick facades with red and buff brick features including decorative string and band courses, voussoirs, inset panels and quoins. Buff brick features and parts of facades now painted over. Moulded stone cornice below top storey level plus stone surrounds to door and window openings. Semicircular moulded stone heads to top storey windows on garden front and door openings to verandah. Originally flat roofed entrance porch on road front, (adjacent to existing porch to No.11), with brick pilasters and stone capitals flanking panelled main entrance door. Porch now demolished and replaced with sash window opening with moulded stone surrounds to match adjacent original window openings. Main entrance now in side extension. Prominent iron verandah to garden front on circular columns with wrought iron ornamental railings and canopy framework. Hipped slate roof to house with overhanging eaves supported on shaped, painted wood brackets. Originally, red and buff brick chimney stacks with stone caps on brackets and buff ‘Bishop’ pots. Side wall stacks now demolished and rebuilt in non-matching style. Glazing bar sash windows on road front with combination of sashes and casements overlooking the garden. Glazed timber framed doors on garden front at verandah level with glazed timber framed doors with casement overlights at basement level. A number of door and window alterations. Substantial stone retaining wall with large buttress piers and stone steps linking upper garden terrace areas. Originally, lower parts of garden area linked by steps and used communally with No.11.