3, Norham Gardens England, UK

Listed Building Description

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

612/0/10092 NORHAM GARDENS 27-MAR-03 3

II House. Dated 1866, by Charles Buckeridge, for Henry Hammons, bookseller. New dining room and staircase wing added to west 1895, by G W Drinkwater for Mr Pilcher. Outer porch of similar date. Conservatory to east side added 1895 by J Weeks and Co of Chelsea. Minor alterations c.2000. Yellow brick in English bond; stone window dressings; plain tile roof. In Gothic style, with ogee arched windows throughout. 2 storeys, attic and basement. Front to road has two gables with 2-light attic windows. 3-light windows below to left, ground floor in shallow ashlar bay. Irregular single lights to right. Porch projects to right of centre, with blind ogee tracery to ashlar gable, and shouldered stone arch over door with 4 plank panels. Timber outer porch on brick base, with lower gable, brattishing over 4-centred arch, and side lights with elaborated leaded glazing. Extension to right in matching style, with re-sited stair window dated 1866 and 1895. This has traceried lights with patterned leading and tinted glass. Extension is canted around corner, with steep hipped roof rising to small timbered gable. Right side has arched doorway added c.2000, gabled dormer and C20 fire escape. Left side has labels over windows, and 1895 timber conservatory with side gable and ornamental leaded glazing to top lights. Garden front to rear has full height canted bays, right with gabled dormer, centre with dormer lantern set into hip. Gabled addition to left has parapet and railings over bay with leaded glazing. This is a finely detailed house of a strong Gothic character with an early extension typical of the North Oxford pattern of adding improved dining room accommodation. It is one of a series of large houses along the south side of Norham Gardens, in a prominent position overlooking the University Parks, and forming part of the flagship development at the outset of St John's North Oxford Estate. It is one of the most elaborately detailed, and all the houses form a strong architectural group.