Norton House, including garden wall to street

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on the W side of The Norton some 110m N of the junction with St John's Hill.

History

Early C19 sustantial town house, probably altered in mid C19. Norton House was occupied in 1920s by C F E Allen MP JP (b 1847) former Recorder of Rangoon and Liberal MP for Pembroke Boroughs.

Exterior

House, painted stucco with slate roof behind parapet. Double pile with 2 chimney stacks each end and parapet between. Two-storey, six-window elevation. Described in 1977 as 5-window with cornice and stone band. Now 6-bay with plain stuccoed band below parapet. Unusual long French windows to first floor with Gothic glazing to top lights. Ironwork balconies to two end windows. Ground floor has 4 hornless 12-pane sashes, 2 each side of door, originally central to facade. Door has been altered since 1977 when it had a wood hood. Now recessed 4-panel door, 2 glazed panels with Tudor-arched heads, in timber surround with panelled pilasters, frieze with Tudor-arched panels and moulded cornice. Right end bay has stone Tudor-arched carriage entrance possibly remodelled since 1977. Right end wall is rendered with 12-pane first floor sash. Left end also rendered has lean-to with blank stuccoed end wall to street. Beyond to left, a length of rebuilt stuccoed wall connects to white-painted rubble stone garden wall that runs on to corner of No 32. This has central blocked 4-centred carriage arch with brick voussoirs.

Interior

Elaborate early C19 interiors of Tudor Gothic character. Large double-return stair with turned moulded newels. Doorways with Tudor arches, basically classical doorcases with Gothick detailing, panelled doors; period cornices, simple bull's-eye roses. Some heavily classical wooden fire-surrounds with early C19 iron grates.

Reason for designation

Graded II* as a substantial late Georgian detached house of Tudor Gothic character retaining well-preserved interiors.