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Hillfield House is a
/ref> A survey in 2014 "described the house as a "classical villa which dates back to around 1820 and is of significant historical value to the city". The historic listing described the building as "a good example of a mid C19 villa, particularly notable for its fine interior" and another source called it the "most elaborate Victorian house in Gloucester". The gates and lodge to the former entrance from London Road have also been Grade II listed, since 1998. The summary states: "Entrance gates to public gardens, formerly the gates to the grounds... ashlar piers and balustrade, wrought-iron gates. Carriage gateway and pedestrian gateway to right set back between short quadrant balustrades".
The buyer who purchased the property in 2014 intended to convert it into a private residence. Major renovations have been completed since that time. In February 2020, a news item described the home as consisting of "23 rooms that boast period touches and plenty of space" That included the main section of the house and the secondary wing that contained two bedroom flat.A sumptuous Victorian home with a main hallway perfect for hosting a Bridgerton-style ball
/ref>
Hillfield House is a grade II listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
house in Denmark Road, Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
, in England. The building, in the Italianate
The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...
style popularised by Charles Barry
Sir Charles Barry (23 May 1795 – 12 May 1860) was a British architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament) in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsi ...
, is faced in ashlar
Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...
Bath stone
Bath Stone is an oolitic limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England. Its honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of ...
, with a centrally placed tower and a porte-cochère
A porte-cochère (; , late 17th century, literally 'coach gateway'; plural: porte-cochères, portes-cochères) is a doorway to a building or courtyard, "often very grand," through which vehicles can enter from the street or a covered porch-like ...
entrance.
It was built in 1867–69 by Albert Estcourt to a design by John Giles for the timber merchant Charles Walker, and replaced an earlier house of 1826 known as Woodbine Hill. One source states that the previous building was a "classical villa which dates back to around 1820". It once had extensive grounds, but these are now a park known as Hillfield Gardens. The description in December 2020 stated: "Now a Council-owned public park covering about 1.6 hectares, Highfield Gardens is supported by an active Friends group which organises annual events".
During WW I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
the property was used as an emergency hospital. Between 1933 and 2014, the house was occupied as offices by local government agencies.'The most elaborate house in Gloucester' for sale for £1.85million/ref> A survey in 2014 "described the house as a "classical villa which dates back to around 1820 and is of significant historical value to the city". The historic listing described the building as "a good example of a mid C19 villa, particularly notable for its fine interior" and another source called it the "most elaborate Victorian house in Gloucester". The gates and lodge to the former entrance from London Road have also been Grade II listed, since 1998. The summary states: "Entrance gates to public gardens, formerly the gates to the grounds... ashlar piers and balustrade, wrought-iron gates. Carriage gateway and pedestrian gateway to right set back between short quadrant balustrades".
Recent history
The buyer who purchased the property in 2014 intended to convert it into a private residence. Major renovations have been completed since that time. In February 2020, a news item described the home as consisting of "23 rooms that boast period touches and plenty of space" That included the main section of the house and the secondary wing that contained two bedroom flat./ref>
References
External links
{{coord, 51, 52, 12, N, 02, 13, 48, W, display=title Houses in Gloucestershire Buildings and structures completed in 1869 Buildings and structures in Gloucester Grade II listed houses in Gloucestershire