HILDENBOROUGH NIZELS LANE (west side) TQ 55 SW 1/164 Nizels House GV II Large house. Possibly C18 in origin, early C19 extensions and alterations, thorough early C20 remodelling, addition and refurbishment in 2 phases. Brick, the early parts of the house with blue headers, the brickwork of the early C20 west addition small red bricks with very fine joints; slate roof; brick stacks. Plan and Development: Complex evolution. The main block faces approximately east, over the garden, and is the core of the early house. It is rectangular on plan with 2 principal rooms facing east. It has been extended to the rear (west) in the early C20 in the Queen Anne style, adding another principal room and again, probably slightly later, at the south end providing a large withdrawing room. The entrance is now on the west side of the house into a stair hall which gives access to all the principal rooms. To the north the main block is linked to a substantial double depth service and nursery block, probably early C19 in origin but thoroughly refurbished in the early C20 and partly rebuilt after a fire of circa 1910. The Edwardian plan form, with all its fittings is remarkably intact. Exterior: 1, 2 and 3 storeys. Asymmetrical east (garden) elevation with a 2:4:2:5 bay front: 2 bays to the single-storey Edwardian drawing room at the left, which has long 24 pane sashes. The adjoining main block is blind in the centre with 4 long 24-pane sashes to the ground floor and 4 12-pane sashes to the first floor, all with flat rubbed brick arches and green louvred sun shutters. This block has a heavy Edwardian egg and dart cornice above a dentil frieze, continued along the adjacent 2-bay block to the right which is slightly set back with early C19 sash windows with segmental rubbed brick arches; 2 16-pane sashes to the ground floor and 2 8-pane and 2 12-pane sashes to the first floor. The 5-bay service and nursery block, set forward, adjoins at the far right with evidence of rebuilding at both ends. This is 3 storeys, the egg and dart moulding continuing under the eaves, with 12-pane sashes with segmental rubbed brick arches to the ground and first floor and 2-light attic casements, one replaced with a sash, with louvred sun shutters. The cornice extends round the return of the service and nursery block but changes form to a plainer moulding on the rear elevation, said to mark the extent of the circa 1910 fire damage. The west (entrance) elevation of the house is dominated by a grand Edwardian facade in the centre, of 5 red brick bayson sandstone footings with 3 central bays broken forward under a gable with a bulls eye window, and the same egg and dart moulding, and long 18-pane sashes. To the right (south) of this is the Edwardian entrance into a deep projecting porch with a segmental arched roof. Paired outer doors below a Georgian style fanlight lead to a flight of steps up into the house. To the left (north) a probably early C19 4-bay facade to the service and nursery block with a hipped slate roof, sash windows and a ground floor canted bay window. The south return of the house has an incomplete loggia or verandah associated with the early C20 drawing room. Interior: Outstandingly complete and unspoiled early C20 interior, preserving not only a substantial open well stair with turned balusters and a ramped handrail, joinery, plasterwork, chimney-pieces and panelling in the principal rooms, but also the Edwardian layout and many of the fittings in the service rooms and a fine set of coeval baths, sinks and lavatories. Some particularly unusual survivals are the early C20 American wallpaper in the breakfast room (information from the owner); the horizontal blind to the glazed cupola over the stair and the completely convincing sandstone style render covering plastered brickwork in the entrance hall. The house is said to have been a dower house to Somerhill in Capel parish (q.v.) in 1830. Complete Edwardian interiors in houses of this size are rare. Group value with listed items in the Edwardian garden. Listing NGR: TQ5467849570