Altona House

Semi-detached two-bay two-storey over basement house, built c.1880. The building is finished in render with a Tyrolean finish and is double-piled. Paired and curved dogleg stairs rise to the broad shared stair which rises to the raised ground floor; it has decorative wrought-iron guard rails. The panelled door has a plain fanlight and sits within a semi-circular arched opening which in turn is set within a semi-circular arched recess with twisted rope decoration. Window openings have segmental arch heads to the ground floor with flat-headed openings elsewhere and have one over one timber sash windows. To the south side is a two-storey over basement canted bay. The roof is obscured by a high parapet with a heavy moulded cornice. Chimneystacks are rendered and have corbelled caps; cast-iron rainwater goods. The house sits at the south end of the promenade behind a rendered wall with square gate pillars with pyramidal caps and looks out to sea.

A well preserved example of an early semi-detached dwelling which recalls the Victorian love of the seaside and forms an important part of the promenade’s set of mainly Victorian houses.