Glebe House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey/ three-bay house with three-storey tower set in mature landscaped grounds on east side of Windsor Avenue.

Flat roof to most of house (probably reinforced concrete) is concealed behind parapet to front, sides and part of rear. The rear left section of the main roof has been reconfigured as a hipped concrete tile roof, and the rear return is of similar profile and material. Two red brick chimneys rise from wall head at rear, a third at middle right and a fourth (truncated) to left. On top of roof is a gabled canopy with four-panelled glass and timber door leading out from stairway up from first floor.

Walls are red brick laid in English garden wall bond (ie. three stretcher courses for every header course) over a chamfered base course. Moulded brick string course between ground and first floor, and another at eaves level. Parapet is of lighter coloured brick with a concrete coping and may be a later reconstruction of the original.

Main façade faces west. Four steps rise to main entrance at left on middle bay. Painted four panelled timber door with segmental head and casing comprising a pair of obscured glass side lights (with herringbone timber panels below) and three-pane segmental-headed leaded transom. Opening has a roll-mould chamfered brick segmental head with hood mould over (with terracotta label stops).

Left bay projects forward slightly from central bay, with exposed right cheek plain. To ground floor is a canted bay window with hipped parapeted roof. Each of the three cheeks has a segmental headed 1/1 sliding sash with granite cill and hood mould as door. All windows and openings are similarly detailed unless otherwise stated.

Tower occupies right bay and projects forward from middle bay. Exposed section of left cheek plain. To ground floor is a pair of windows as left bay (but sharing common drip mould).

To first floor of all three bays are a pair of windows (as before), all in line with ground floor openings; those to central bay are narrower than the others.

The second floor of tower has three 1/1 top-opening timber casements to facade and similar to its left and right elevations. All share a rendered lintel course, with an ogee head inset above each opening. Surmounted by a corbelled brick cornice indented with triangular patterns, over which is a crenellated cement-rendered parapet concealing a leaded roof. On its rear face, at second floor level, the tower has a painted door set in a segmental stop-end chamfered opening. This provides the only access to the tower’s second floor.

Right elevation is three bays wide and of same construction as façade. Left bay is the right cheek of the tower, already described. On middle bay, on left and right sides at both ground and first floors are single windows as façade. Right bay breaks forward and has a pair of similar windows to each floor. The roof parapet is inset with two panels, each containing three foliated terracotta plaques.

Left elevation is three bays wide and of identical construction to façade. Left bay projects forward slightly and has a pair of windows to ground floor (but with higher cill levels than façade windows) and one at first floor. Eaves appear to have been raised in brick to accommodate new roof. To ground floor of middle bay is a four panel painted timber door with six-paned sidelights and rendered lintel over. At first floor is a large six-pane timber window (to internal landing). Each top sash has semicircular head (middle window pane one higher and wider). Mullions in the form of slender colonettes, with a roundel in spandrel above. All set within a roll-moulded segmental headed opening with label-stopped hood mould over. Right bay has a single window to ground floor; blank at first floor. Three terracotta panels inset in parapet.

On rear elevation, right bay is abutted by a two-storey return; again the wall head has been raised to accommodate reconfigured roof. Left bay is blank. To ground and first floors of middle bay is a pair of 2/2 (vertically divided) sashes.

Return has had its walls raised in brick to accommodate new roof. Blank end wall. Its right cheek, which is flush with left elevation of main block, has four equally spaced segmental headed openings to ground floor. The opening second from left contains a modern plywood and glass door, and that at right a four-panel painted timber door. Remaining openings are 2/2 sashes. To first floor are three similar windows, in line with the first three openings on ground floor. Left cheek of return has a single t+g sheeted door to extreme left and a tall 4/6 sliding sash window to its right at landing level.

Rear is enclosed by wall to form a yard. Abutting left wall (as viewed from rear) is a modern red brick garage with mono-pitched roof behind a brick parapet.

Boundary to Windsor Avenue is rubble granite, squared at entrance. Modern brick gate piers with concrete copings and older (probably original) pair of wrought iron gates. Left gate pier has a modern polished granite plaque incised ‘Glebe House’.

Historical information

Architect’s plans in possession of occupant state that building designed in 1904 by James Watson and erected 1905. The 'S' on the newel post is believed to be the initial of Rev. Smart, its first occupant. Plans show that front and side parapets inset with terracotta panels; these mostly removed with rebuilding of parapets. Plan also shows bay window to left elevation and none to façade; upon execution, this arrangement was reversed.

House first appears in 1906 Valuation, the occupant being Rev. Samuel Smart. Windsor Avenue then known as Bellman’s Lane.

Occupant believes the tower was built to house a TB sufferer who had to be kept separate from the other residents.

Primary Sources:

1. PRONI Valuation revision books, 1866-1930 – VAL 12B/22/16A, p.109.
2. Architect’s plans in house.

Secondary Sources:
3. Occupier (1998)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

The tower adds special interest to this distinctive red-brick Edwardian house. Its functional plan form and high quality interior underscore its merit, albeit degraded somewhat by the form and material of the replacement rear roofs. Also of interest in being a purpose-built vicarage associated with St. Mary’s church.