The Hoo

Description

The Hoo is an alteration to an existing house, and again Lutyens swamps the old house with a plethora of new details. Like Deanery Garden the house is built right onto a road, and it is entered through an arch which leads into a courtyard. This road façade is interesting since we see the Varengeville oriels used in contrast to the rest of the elevation which is in a normal vernacular style. The garden front is very like the Webb garden front of Standen. The centre block contains the original house, and here Lutyens has added three gables over a coved cornice. To either side he has added pavilions with hipped roofs. In these a great number of Lutyens’s Georgian motifs are displayed for the first time, and now at last we have sash windows. Above the windows are a cornice and a deep brick frieze and then the large hipped roof onto which dormers thrust – an oft repeated motif later. The house is built up on a terrace, and the steps are formed of interlocking stone discs. (Amery et al., 1981, cat no.128)

Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens for Alexander Wedderburn in 1902 and one of Lutyens best houses. Now converted into 11 flats. The main front faces south. Comprises a centre portion of 3 storeys and 5 windows and projecting wings of 2 storeys and 5 windows each. Painted brick with red brick dressings and quoins. Tiled roof. The centre portion has 3 weatherboarded gables containing attic windows. The wings have hipped roofs with 3 dormers to each wing. (Historic England, list entry 1184911)

Bibliography

Amery, C., Richardson, M. and Stamp, G. (1981) Lutyens, the Work of the English Architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944): Hayward Gallery London, 18 November 1981-31 January 1982. London: Arts Council of Great Britain.

Historic England. THE HOO. [Online] Available from: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1184911

Also Cited In

Antram, N. (2013) Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove. The Buildings of England. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Gradidge, R. (1982) Edwin Lutyens: Architect Laureate. London: Allen & Unwin.

W, 1913. THE LESSER COUNTRY HOUSES OF TO-DAY: THE HOO, WILLINGDON, SUSSEX, AND ITS ENLARGEMENT BY MR. E. L. LUTYENS. Country Life (Archive : 1901 – 2005), 33(853), pp. 7-8, 11.

Listing Grade

I

Listing Reference

1184911

Client

Alexander Wedderburn, KC