Will Ville

Detached five-bay two-storey house, built c.1720, having single-storey single-bay extension to south-east gable elevation. Pitched slate roof with clay ridge tiles, render copings, red brick chimneystacks, cast-iron rainwater goods, and timber eaves course. Harl-rendered walls, channelled render quoins to front (south-west) elevation. Square-headed window openings throughout, with raised render reveals, painted masonry sills, and timber sliding sash windows, front elevation having three-over-six-pane to first floor and six-over-six pane to ground floor, with exposed sash boxes, rear having one-over-one pane and bipartite one-over-one pane, and rear and south-east elevations having some replacement timber windows. Round-headed window opening to centre bay of first floor to front, with raised render reveal, painted masonry sill and fixed timber window. Round-headed panelled door, now boarded up, having spoked fanlight, set within smooth rendered rectangular panel. Rendered boundary walls to front, terminating in square-plan piers flanking single-leaf wrought-iron gate. Double-leaf wrought-iron gate flanked by square-plan rendered piers to south-west of house.

Despite its overgrown condition, this house retains much of its original form and fabric, including a variety of timber sliding sash windows, which add visual interest. The exposed sash boxes to the windows to the front elevation suggest an early date for this building, while the formal layout of square-headed openings flanking round-headed central bay openings adds a classical dimension. It was the childhood home of Juan MacKenna who late became a hero of the Chilean War of Independence, adding to the cultural and historic interest of the building.