25 Newcastle Drive

Detached house c1865-70. Recently restored to single household use after previous conversion into flats. Two storeys plus basement and attics. Red brick facades with ashlar dressings, coursed rubble stone basement walls and hipped and gabled slate roof. House located on upper part of steeply sloping site, originally stepped to form terraced garden areas with carriage house, stables and yard adjacent to Tennis Drive, (formerly known as Huntingdon Drive.) Substantial part of original garden area now lost to separate residential development of 2no.‘townhouses’ c1970. Prominent bow bay to staircase on east facade partially disfigured by later opening and extension to provide access to previous upper flat. Bull nosed brick detail at verges and eaves, combined with patterned inset brick panels under pyramidal roof. Brick band course at first floor storey height level. Pointed brick arches to some window openings. String courses and brick relief patterning to large central red brick chimney stack. Buff chimney pots. Variety of ashlar details including moulded arched opening to main entrance doorway with side shaft pilasters and flat canopy supported on brackets; a combination of square, arched and circular window surrounds plus sills, keystones and eaves stop ends. Stonework now painted. Windows mainly original glazing bar sashes with some alterations and additions, particularly to staircase bay and at basement and ground floor levels on main front overlooking garden. Steel balcony added to altered opening. Irregular combination of gabled, pyramidal and lean-to slate roofs with gabled dormers over main entrance area and pyramidal roof. Original rainwater fittings replaced and further pipework added. Railings and original external steps down to basement area on right side of main entrance doorway adjacent to Newcastle Drive, (formerly known as Pelham Terrace). Original boundary wall/railing replaced on left side of main entrance by late 20c extension to form access to upper flat in previous conversion scheme.