Southill House — Collins Avenue

Detached three-bay two-storey over basement former house, built c. 1820, facing south with a front entrance porch and two triple-height three-sided canted bays to the east and west elevations. A cobbled yard is attached to the north elevation with rebuilt outbuildings and a wrought-iron former vinery to the west. Former home of Peter Tait, now in use as a Community Resource Centre. Hipped natural slate roof with black clay ridge tiles and profiled cast-iron rainwater goods. Four centrally placed rendered chimneystacks having four decorative square clay pots each. Overhanging eaves with a plain frieze and roll moulding below. Painted ruled-and-lined rendered walls with a moulded plinth course. Square-headed window openings with single-pane timber sash windows with ogee horns and limestone sills. Replacement uPVC windows to the basement of the three-sided bay to the east, set behind a retaining wall having a semi-circular cast-iron railing on limestone plinth course enclosing the basement below. Square-plan porch, formerly an open portico, comprising a round-arched opening to each side having moulded reveals, vermiculated keystones and channel rusticated walls with a continuous impost moulding. Modern hardwood glazed doors and overlights open from an encaustic tiled floor to two limestone steps. Within the porch is round-arched door opening flanked by a pair of timber pilasters and scrolled console brackets supporting a lintel architrave and hidden fanlight above. Raised and fielded timber panelled door with a central fillet and limestone threshold stone. To the front of each bay to either side of the porch is a semi-circular cast-iron basement grille edged with limestone. A rendered screen wall set back to the north elevation has a segmental arched opening with Gibbsian limestone surround and steel door, the wall is attached to a rebuilt single-storey outbuilding having a three-pointed carriage arch with a cut limestone surround and pair of tongued and grooved timber gates leading to a cobbled yard with further stone outbuildings. Attached to the west elevation is a full-height extension containing the fire escape c. 1990, and an attached two-storey nursery wing c. 2000, with a further single-storey nursery extension c. 2004. Several parking areas and a winding tarmacadamed drive leads to the road with a pair of limestone piers and curved wings with the main inner piers and gates removed. Interior joinery remains intact with a large staircase with cast-iron balustrade leading to a damaged round-arched painted glass window to the half-landing. Three main reception room have elaborate classical painted and stencilled plaster walls and ceilings with decorative cornices and ceiling roses. To the first floor hall is a circular glazed lantern dome.