Historic Hadleigh
Article by Dave Welch – STANN St Albans News
Local House Sympathetically Enhanced
Jon and Shirley Warring, owners of historic St Albans house "Hadleigh" on the corner of Springfield Road and Eversleigh Street have done some major renovations. Far from desecrating a piece of local history, the renovations aimed to enhance the Springfield Road frontage and are totally in style with the character of the house.
When there is talk of historic buildings peoples thoughts often turn to the buildings of the Victorian era and particularly the gothic style used in the design of many of Christchurch's public buildings. However there are many fine buildings of later eras such as "Hadleigh". Built very much in the Arts and Crafts style, this movement is to some extent a turn of the century revolt against the over elaborate, over ornamental buildings of the gothic period. Inspired by William Morris and others it represented a return to simpler more harmonious proportions, the flowing ornamentation was intended to reflect functional form and good craftsmanship.
"Hadleigh" which epitomises all these trends was designed in England by the architect Voysey (and is said to closely resemble his own home in Hertfordshire) and built here under the supervision of a renown NZ architect Samuel Hurst Seager.
The large house is two storeyed, double brick with a pebble-dash coating and Marseilles tile roof, with diamond paned windows. Most of the living areas, including the spacious entrance hall are wood panelled. The house was built for the Wood's, a wealthy merchant family in 1904 but in the 1930's passed into the ownership of leading local architect J.G. Collins. Collins enhanced the house by carving appropriately styled ornamental Kauri lintels for the tops of all the door-ways. Later he converted "Hadleigh" into four flats. Astoundingly he had the fore-sight and care to not only design the flats in a way that would do least damage to the integrity of the house, but also save the door mouldings etc he had to remove. These were preserved for fifty years in a shed and when Dave and Betty Purdue bought "Hadleigh" in the 70's they were able to replace these when restoring "Hadleigh" back to a single house.
Although new bathrooms were added, one bathroom retains the original tub. The late John Brittan, famous motorcycle designer, made a tubular frame to hold a marbelised porcelain basin of the period as well as a brass shade for the billiard table.
For some years now "Hadleigh" has been a very elegant bed and breakfast, able to offer visitors a special treat in fine accommodation in a quiet setting. Jon and Shirley's renovations enhance that role and the historical character of "Hadleigh".
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