Details
NETHER ALDERLEY
203/0/10018 CONGLETON ROAD
02-APR-07 Alderley Edge
Sandhurst and Hill Cottage
II
Semi-detached houses, 1910, with later C20 alterations. By A E Beresford, architect. Arts & Crafts style. Rendered brickwork, with plain tile covering to the extremely deep gabled and hipped roof. An asymmetrical composition of 1,1/2 storeys above a basement, mullioned windows with leaded lights to side-hung casements, chimney stacks to ridge and through roof slopes, and cast-iron rainwater goods.
EXTERIOR: Houses set parallel to Congleton Road, Hill Cottage to left, Sandhurst to right. Both of equal size, with asymmetrical front and rear elevations.
Hill Cottage: Painted surrounds to windows and doors. Central gabled bay to front elevation, wide entrance doorway to ground floor with slender cambered stone lintel, door with inset diamond-shaped stained glass panel, small diamond-shaped stone decoration above doorway, 4-light mullion window to gable, stone sill and cambered lintel. 3-light mullion window tucked underneath eaves (stair window) to right of central bay, 2-light ground floor mullion window to far right with adjacent secondary doorway providing access into pantry and kitchen, timber board door, stone sill and cambered lintel. 3-light dormer window sits low down on roof above pantry doorway, chimney stack to ridge above right of dormer (on dividing line of houses). Rear elevation in similar styling to front with raised ground floor due to sloping ground. Projecting central gabled bay with wide 8-light mullion and transom window to ground floor, 3-light mullion window to gable, squat 3-light mullion window to basement, all with stone sills and cambered lintels. Chimney stack rising from rear left side of gable. 4-light mullion and transom window to ground floor right return of central bay. Enclosed arched verandah to right of central bay, brick steps down into garden, multi-paned door on left provides access into dining room behind, window on right of same size and styling as door, tall chimney stack to roof above verandah. Doorway and 2-light mullion window to far left of elevation, timber plank and studded door, short brick stair at right angle to door leading into garden, 4-light mullion window to right (both windows and door tucked underneath eaves line). 4-light dormer window to roof above. Side elevation with half-hipped roof and overhanging eaves, 3-light mullion window to ground floor, stone sill and cambered lintel, 4-light mullion window to first floor underneath eaves.
Sandhurst: Main central section of front elevation projects forward slightly with M-shaped half-hipped roof, overhanging eaves, wide central doorway with porch to ground floor, 4-plank door with long wrought-iron strap hinges, 3-light mullion window to far left ground floor, stone sill and cambered lintel, 3-light mullion window below eaves above, large 6-light mullion and transomed stair window to right and above left of doorway (central upper light with small oval stained glass panel), 3-light mullion window above right of doorway, slender window to ground floor of shallow right return lighting internal entrance lobby. 2-light mullion window to far right ground floor, stone sill and cambered lintel. Chimney stack to roof above. Rear elevation with projecting central bay with half-hipped roof, overhanging eaves. 5-light window to ground floor (originally 8-light mullion and transomed window - central mullions, transoms and lead lights now lost), wide 5-light mullion window to upper floor, replaced uPVC basement window, stone sills and cambered lintels to basement and ground floor windows. Chimney stack rising from roof behind central bay. Doorway to far left of elevation, timber door of narrow planks, replaced door handle. 3-light mullion window to ground floor underneath eaves, 2-light mullion window to basement, stone sill and cambered lintel, 3-light dormer window to roof (originally 4-lights; that to far right now blocked up and adjacent light partially blocked). Small mid-late C20 conservatory to right of central bay (probably replaced original verandah), rendered brick steps down into garden, 3-light dormer window to roof above. Sloping rendered wall with brick copings between Sandhurst's conservatory and Hill Cottage's kitchen doorway separates the properties and gardens. Side elevation with half-hipped roof and overhanging eaves, 3-light mullion window to ground floor (left light with replaced glazing), stone sill and cambered lintel, 3-light mullion window to first floor underneath eaves, 2 small windows to basement (that to right of 2-lights), cambered lintels.
INTERIOR: Identical internal layout to both houses except for position of main stair, principal rooms to rear of properties overlooking gardens.
Hill Cottage: Retains original floor plan and many original features including doors, main timber dog-leg stair to right of entrance hall and at right angle to door, service sink and fittings to basement, brick basement stair, tall fireplace to dining room with timber surround, hearth and fireback with small white and decorative tiles incorporating green foliage design, copper hearth surround, original timber and cast-iron fireplaces to upper floor rooms. Folding screen partition between lounge and dining room. Replaced late C20 fireplace to living room.
Sandhurst: Retains original floor plan (except for pantry wall knocked through into kitchen). Fireplaces removed or replaced except for one original fireplace to left first floor bedroom. Original features include all doors and door furniture, main timber dog-leg stair with turned balusters to left of entrance hall, original timber board floors (hidden under carpets), tiled entrance floor, built-in cupboards to kitchen and basement, brick basement and garden stairs, original stone shelving, coal room.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: Single storey detached garage with weatherboard cladding to right of Sandhurst, hipped tiled roof, lean-to to rear.
HISTORY: In 1909 plots were laid out along Congleton Road and White Barn Road for villa development on land owned by Lord Stanley. Sandhurst and Hill Cottage were constructed to the designs of A E Beresford for T O Bridge whose wife was the sister of A E Beresford. The houses were constructed by local builders Isaac Massey & Sons.
After working in a practice in Alderley Edge A E Beresford joined M H Baillie Scott as his chief assistant in 1905 and took responsibility for the financial and technical aspects of the practice. In 1919 he was made a partner and a full-scale practice was established at 8 Gray's Inn, London (and subsequently Bedford Row, London). This partnership lasted for twenty years until Baillie Scott's retirement in 1939. Beresford continued the practice for a few months but then World War II began and the practice closed. Beresford hoped to revive the practice after the war but this never happened. During the early years of Beresford's employment with Baillie Scott most designs produced by the practice were worked on by both men.
SOURCES:
Baillie Scott M H. 1995. 'Houses & Gardens: Arts & Crafts Interiors'. Suffolk: Antique Collectors' Club.
Davey P. 1995. 'Arts & crafts Architecture'. London: Phaidon Press Limited.
Hyde M. 1999. 'The Villas of Alderley Edge'. Altrincham: The Silk Press.
Kornwolf J D. 1972. 'M H Baillie Scott & the Arts & Crafts Movement: Pioneers of Modern Design'. London & Baltimore: The John Hopkins Press Ltd.
Richardson M. 1983. 'Architects of the Arts & Crafts Movement'. London: Trefoil Books Ltd.
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: A pair of semi-detached houses dating to c.1910 constructed in Arts & Crafts style by A E Beresford, chief assistant to M H Baillie Scott and later his partner. The strikingly asmmetrical asymmetrical composition comprising Sandhurst and Hill Cottage is of special architectural interest as an example of early C20 middle-class housing executed in the Arts & Crafts style and carried out by a well known architect. Although designed by Beresford it is believed that the designs for the houses were probably also worked upon by Baillie Scott, as was their common practice at this date. The semi-detached pair of houses display many characteristics of Baillie Scott's work to be found on other of his domestic designs and follow his principles both internally and externally including the maximisation of space and light, an asymmetrical appearance, the use of deep roofs, leaded-light mullioned windows at varying heights, and internal sliding partitions.
Despite minor alterations to Sandhurst, many original features have been retained to both houses and they retain their original floor plans. With well-designed, distinctive and mostly unaltered exteriors and substantially intact interiors Sandhurst and Hill Cottage are clearly of national interest. The construction of Hill Cottage for Beresford's sister and her husband also provides additional historic interest.
