Building record MDO47386 - 93 Wyke Road, Weymouth

A two storey house built in 1936 with symmetrical proportions; the builder and architect are unknown. It appears to be of Portland stone, with a prominent hipped roof of Cornish slate and substantial central stack. All the windows are late-20th century replacements in uPVC, probably replacing ones with metal frames. The walls are plain except for a continuous first floor plat band and fairly pronounced cills. It is a two-storeyed roughly square block, of three bays and has minimal classical styling

The Beacon [AMIE NMR number 1508661, SY67 NE250] was built in 1936 as a private residence for Miss (Sydney) Renee Courtauld (1873-1972) who was the niece of the English industrialist and art collector, Samuel Courtauld, and brother of Samuel Courtauld, the founder of the Courtauld Institute and Gallery. The architect is unknown, but it may be the work of a local firm. The Beacon stood in landscaped gardens with a number of related ancillary buildings, including what is now 93 Wyke Road, the subject of this assessment, and a detached garage block. It is understood that 93 Wyke Road was built to provide accommodation for a chauffeur and is situated to the north of the main house. The Beacon was divided into three units in the 1960s and it is likely that the chauffeur's house was also sold at about this time. 93 Wyke Road does not have sufficient architectural interest in the national context to fulfil the criteria for listing buildings of this type and age.

A two storey house of c.1936 with symmetrical proportions; the builder and architect are unknown. It appears to be of Portland stone, with a prominent hipped roof of Cornish slate and substantial central stack. All the windows are late-20th century replacements in uPVC, probably replacing ones with metal frames. The walls are plain except for a continuous first floor plat band and fairly pronounced cills. It is a two-storeyed roughly square block, of three bays and has minimal classical styling.

EXTERIOR: The façade faces north and has a central door with a moulded doorcase and a plain hood on consoles, flanked by two-light windows. There is a regular arrangement of similar windows to the first floor. The other elevations are without embellishments. There is a small, flat roofed addition to the west elevation.

INTERIOR: No interior inspection.

Twentieth century housing varies enormously in range and scale, from the country house to the tower block. The legacy is extremely diverse, and numerically vast. Candidates for listing must be of exceptional quality, only the best crafted and least altered are worthy of designation. Architectural quality and intactness are essential and character and completeness, both inside and out, are always required. Style too can be a factor: early and impressive examples of stylistic trends may well warrant serious consideration. It is, however, important to distinguish between the exceptional and the typical, the outstanding and the representative.

93 Wyke Road was built in c.1936 as separate staff accommodation at The Beacon, the former home of Renee Courtauld. It exhibits some architectural quality in its simple symmetrical design, but it is not an outstanding example with its pared down classical styling. It is a modest composition with relatively unimaginative decorative treatment, although it is enlivened by the hipped roof and prominent stack. Regrettably, all of its windows have been replaced; the loss of fenestration in buildings of this date, and the quality of the architectural treatment are of considerable weight when assessing suitability for designation. Although the interior was not inspected, for a house of the inter-war period, it would require a significant plan form and contemporary fixtures and fittings to raise the interest of this building to a point where listing may be considered. However, if further evidence comes to light indicating that it retains high quality internal features, then it may be appropriate to reassess it for listing.

It is acknowledged that the house does have local interest for its association with a member of the Courtauld family, and that it was clearly designed to complement The Beacon with which it forms a group. The proportions and massing of 93 Wyke Road affords a visual prominence and it contributes to the character and appearance of the area. However, although of a reasonable standard of craftsmanship, it does not have either innovative design or treatment for the date of construction and does not warrant inclusion on the statutory list. <1>

<1> English Heritage, English Heritage Listing File, Case 166691, in file 505656/001 (Scheduling record). SDO17502.

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1508696 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 15 2023 2:21PM