SOUTH LOWESTOFT Conservation Area

Written by the Heritage Team of Scott Wilson Ltd Character Appraisal and the Waveney District Council Conservation Team ———— Published June 2007 Contents Page 1: Introduction Page 2: Map of existing North Lowestoft Conservation Area and listed buildings Page 3: Assessment of Special Interest Page 4: Historic Development and Archaeology Page 6: A reconstructed plan of the Waveney Road from the South Pier Town of Lowestoft c.1618 Page 8: Barnes’ map of Lowestoft in 1830 Page 12: Chamber’s plan of Lowestoft and Kirkley, 1878 Page 19: Spatial Analysis Page 22: Character Areas within the South Lowestoft Conservation Area Page 23: Character Analysis Page 23: The Harbour Character Area Page 34: The Seafront Character Area St Peter’s Road Page 46: London Road South Character Area Page 56: St Peter’s Church Character Area Page 63: Special Interest of South Lowestoft Conservation Area Page 64: Community Consultation Page a1/1: Appendix 1: Building Descriptions Page a2/1: Appendix 2: Bibliography Page a3/1: Appendix 3: Useful Information Waveney Dock and Outer Page a4/1: Proposed Extensions to the South Lowestoft Conservation Area Page a4/2: Appendix 4: Suggested Boundary Changes Page a5/1: Appendix 5: Management Proposals Page a5/2: Acknowledgements

Mapping reproduced from Ordnance Survey digital data (c) Crown copyright 2007. All rights reserved. License number 0100042052 London Road South South Lowestoft Conservation Area Designation as a conservation area is not Character Appraisal intended to prevent new development or Introduction stifle the area’s economic life or The historic environment is all around us potential, though it is expected that a in the form of buildings, landscapes, high degree of attention will be paid to archaeology and historic areas; it is a design, repair and maintenance in such precious and irreplaceable asset. Once areas. When exercising planning powers, gone it is gone forever. we will pay special attention to the preservation and enhancement of the Caring for the historic environment is a conservation area according to those dynamic process which involves policies for the built environment set out managing change. This does not mean in the adopted Waveney District Local keeping everything from the past, but Plan of November 1996 and the Interim making careful judgements about the Local Plan of May 2004. value and significance of buildings and landscapes. Critical to these decisions is In recognition of these policies, the Core an understanding and appreciation of an LDF strategy and in line with the area’s character, including its social and requirements of the 1990 Planning economic background, and the way in (Listed Buildings and Conservation which such factors have shaped its urban Areas) Act, we will continue to formulate fabric. This should be the starting point and publish proposals for the for making decisions about its preservation and enhancement of the management both in the present and the conservation area and consult the public future. on these proposals. The appraisal will be subject to a quinquennial review in order This conservation area appraisal: that it remains a relevant and useful document. • Describes the character of the

area; • Identifies its special character; • Puts forward a basis for effective policy control of development; and • Identifies proposals for its enhancement

Conservation areas are defined by the government as ‘areas of special interest, the character of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’. They were introduced through the Civic Amenities Act in 1967 and there are now sixteen in Waveney District. The South Lowestoft Conservation Area was designated in 1978 and was extended in 1996 and 2003. An article 4(2) direction was applied to the conservation area in 1997.

1 Map of the existing South Lowestoft Conservation Area and listed buildings

2 3 Assessment administration. of Special Interest Lowestoft is situated on the side of a broad shallow valley between the River Location Waveney and the North Sea. The valley and setting runs approximately east-west and Lowestoft is contains alluvial deposits, man-made situated in channels and recent land-reclamations. East Suffolk, The solid geology of the area is formed 28-29 Marine Parade to the by Norwich Crag, Red Crag and northeast of Chillesford Clay, with superficial deposits the county. of glacial sand, gravel, and blown sand to Located on the east. the Suffolk coast, the Lowestoft is now the focus of major town is 19km regeneration with the formation of the from Great 1st East Urban Regeneration Company Yarmouth, (URC). The URC aims to generate 35km from economic growth by bringing areas of Norwich and derelict and under-utilised land back into 71km from active use. As such, the town is subject 2 Kirkley Cliff Ipswich. In to substantial pressure for the 2001 redevelopment of key sites in and around Lowestoft had a population of c.57,746. the urban centre. Following a period of General character and plan form decline in the South Lowestoft Conservation Area is th later 20 formed by the core of the 19th century century, the expansion of the town. This area local developed following the establishment of economy is a harbour and river access through Lake now Lothing in the early 19th century and was supported by subsequently developed as a pleasure a number of The Drifter Pub, resort from the mid-19th century London Road South disciplines, onwards. The buildings of the including conservation area reflect this history and fishing and consist principally of townhouses and maritime villas along the seafront, with areas of industries, lower status terraced housing to the west, retail, light commercial premises along London industry and Road North and South, and around the harbour and train station. Larger scale detached villas are present to the southwest of the designated area. A linear street plan, laid out parallel to the The South Beach shore, is retained throughout much of the conservation area and reflects the 4 formal planning of the seaside resort, with pleasure gardens and promenades along the seafront, whilst a more curvilinear plan is apparent within the area of villas to the southwest.

Landscape setting The South Lowestoft Conservation Area is situated to the south of Lake Lothing, adjacent to the South Denes. The town of Lowestoft extends to the north and west to incorporate the surrounding settlements of Oulton Broad, Pakefield and Carlton Colville.

The landscape setting of the South Lowestoft Conservation Area is defined by its position on predominantly flat land adjacent to the beach and to the south of Lake Lothing, rising to the south towards Pakefield Cliff.

To the east the setting of the conservation area is formed by the presence of a sand and shingle beach and the North Sea, whilst to the west, the area is heavily built up with residential buildings of varied date. Industrial and commercial premises are present around the harbour and London Road North, reflecting the continued use of the harbour and the modern commercial heart of the town. To the north of the harbour, the land rises towards the

5 clifftop High Sports Field. Street. Within Lowestoft Historic there is further Development potential for and well-preserved Archaeology evidence, as revealed by The origins and the discovery historic of Bronze and development of Iron Age the area activity at a site on Lowestoft is Hadenham located c.2.5 miles Road in from Pakefield, Pakefield. the site of the earliest known Roman human remains in activity around Northern Europe. Lowestoft is The discovery of suggested by a human remains number of and flint tools in sources. 2005 represents Remains ‘ the oldest, tentatively unequivocal evidence interpreted as of humans in part of a northern possible Europe’ (Amos Roman road 2006), having and associated been dated to bridge 700,000 years structure were before A reconstructed plan of the exposed during 19th century canal present. Town of Lowestoft c.1618 excavations near Lake Lothing. The Within River Waveney is also known to have Reproduced with the permission of David been used as a communications route Butcher and Ivan Bunn and various other Roman finds have been exposed, notably in the area now known as Roman Hill; however, no Lowestoft itself, Neolithic activity is settlement remains have been found. It suggested by finds of artefacts, including is likely that any associated settlement projectiles, in the area of Church Road, was located on high ground to the west Water Lane and Princes Walk (Pers. of the present town centre. Comm. D Butcher). Documentary evidence also suggests the former The current town has its origins in the presence of a Bronze Age burial mound village recorded as Lothuwistoft in the in the vicinity of Barnard’s Meadow Domesday Book. The village relied upon

6 both agriculture and fishing, and the concentrated along the High Street, many predominance of fishing may be seen in with narrow burgage plots extending to the payment of land rent to Hugh De the east, where a series of elongated east- Montfort in herrings (Williams and west orientated structures are present Martin 1992, 1187). This settlement was overlooking the common land of the located to the west-south-west of High Denes. To the west, a dense network of Street in the vicinity of the junction of St east-west streets is laid out between High Peter’s Street, Normanston Drive and Street and the common. As the principle Rotterdam Road (Butcher and Bunn, street within the town, buildings on High ND, 1); however, by the 14th century the Street tended to be populated by wealthy settlement had shifted onto higher residents, whilst the streets to the west ground behind the cliffs where the High were populated by the lower classes Street is now laid out. The medieval (Butcher 1995, 25). town was characterised by the layout of burgage plots along High Street, whilst Throughout the medieval period, the cliff face to the east was terraced Lowestoft continued to grow in size and along its length, aiding its stability and economic strength. This is shown by its providing yards, gardens and storage rising place within the taxation lists for areas. It is likely these works were the hundred of Mutford and undertaken by concerted community Lothingland, being 14th in 1327, 12th in effort, most probably under manorial 1334, and first by 1524 (Butcher 1995, control (Butcher & Bunn, ND, 2). The 20). The increasing success of the scores, a characteristic and unique feature settlement was recognised by the of Lowestoft, were established at this neighbouring town of Great Yarmouth time, running between burgage plots to who, in 1357, sought to restrict give access from High Street to the Lowestoft’s fishing activity with the Denes below. The topography of the Statute of Herrings. This gave the town enabled a separation of domestic Yarmouth bailiffs control over the and commercial property, with autumn herring fishery for a distance of merchants’ housing and commercial seven leagues from the Yarmouth town premises lining High Street, whilst quay. premises associated with the fishing industry were located on the lower By the early 17th century, Lowestoft ground adjacent to the Denes. The green supported a diverse local economy with and common land were located to the over 100 occupations recorded in the north and south of High Street; however, town, including textile and clothing the parish Church of St Margaret manufacture, metalworking, and food remained close to the original settlement, and drink production. Central to the over a kilometre to the west, suggesting growth of the town was agriculture and an early shift in the settlement focus the weekly market, whilst fishing brought about by the growth and remained a significant element of the development of the fishing industry. local economy. Increasing civic pride may be seen in the foundation of a A plan of Lowestoft reconstructed from Grammar School by Thomas Annott manorial evidence of 1618 (Butcher 1995, 27) reveals the form of the medieval settlement. Buildings were

7 Barnes’ map of Lowestoft in 1830

Reproduced with permission of Lowestoft Record Office

8 navigable waterway between Norwich transforming it to create much of its and Lowestoft, with locks situated at the modern character. entrance to Lake Lothing and between Lake Lothing and Oulton Broad. The Of primary importance to this construction of the waterway and development was the establishment of harbour allowed direct river access to better transport links to and from the Norwich from the sea, thereby avoiding town. Peto’s boast that he would deliver the monopoly of river traffic by the Lowestoft fish to the tables of Yarmouth Wherries. This venture failed, Manchester within the same day however, as its income was insufficient to demonstrates his recognition of the repay the large sums borrowed from the importance of the transport Public Works Loan Commissioners for infrastructure to the growth and success its construction. These difficulties were of his venture. The original harbour compounded by the infestation of the undertaking was renamed the Lowestoft lock gates by toredo worms, and they Railway and Harbour Company and the became permanently stuck in an open harbour was expanded to accommodate position. This hampered the movement 1000 boats. A number of further of water needed to keep the channel free extensions were constructed to prevent it of sand, which caused the harbour to silt from silting up, including the Outer up, and subsequently led to a fall in trade. North and South stone breakwaters, built The failure of the gates also resulted in in 1846 alongside the original two short the transformation of Lake Lothing, piers constructed in 1831. A new fish previously known as the Freshwater, into basin was formed between the two a permanent saltwater lake (Robb 2005, northern piers and the fish market and 49). cattle sheds were built on the North Pier. Livestock were imported to Lowestoft The Lowestoft Harbour and Navigation from 1850 and formed a valuable part of Company was bought by a local syndicate the maritime economy. Both salt and ice for approximately £5000 in 1843. Only a were important commodities within the year later the syndicate was bought out fishing industry as is seen in the for £12,500 by Samuel Morton Peto. placement of ice and salt storage facilities Sometimes called the ‘father of modern to the rear of these structures. The Lowestoft’ (Malster 1991), aged just 21, thatched icehouse formed a characteristic Peto had inherited a partnership in a firm element of the quayside, storing ice that went on to build the Houses of brought on sailing ships from Norway, Parliament, Nelson’s Column, the Albert until 1911 when it was demolished due to Memorial and the Reform Club. This the success of the artificial ice industry. provided Peto with the foundations of a varied and interesting career in which he Of greatest importance to the success of was a civil engineer, railway pioneer, MP Victorian Lowestoft was Peto’s and philanthropist. Having bought construction of the railway. Peto first Somerleyton Estate in 1843 whilst built a railway line between Lowestoft working on the Eastern Counties and Reedham, opened in 1847, which Railway, Peto recognised the potential in joined the Wherry Line and gave direct Lowestoft for economic and leisure access to Norwich. This was followed development. He began a scheme of between 1854-1859 by the construction major investment in the town, of the East Suffolk Line to Ipswich, laid

9 out parallel to the original canal along most of its route. The first railway station was opened to the north of the harbour in 1847. This structure was rebuilt in 1855 by the Lucas brothers and remains in use today. Construction of the railway prompted a large increase in the population of Lowestoft, reaching 6580 by 1851 (Robb 2005, 51).

The next phase of Peto’s development was the establishment of the town as a pleasure resort. Peto purchased the Lowestoft South Common for a small sum (conflicting sources state either £200 or £500 (Robb 2005, 50; Lowestoft Journal 05/12/52; Anon ND, 1) from the trustees of the Lowestoft Lampland, as the area was then known. The Lampland consisted of undeveloped farmland and common land, and, as such, was considered to be of little value, but was transformed by Peto to the design of the architect John Louth Clemence.

Peto’s vision for the town comprised grand terraces of townhouses and lodging houses overlooking the long sandy beach. The initial scheme was formed by five principal blocks of buildings, extending over half a mile of the seafront, including the three surviving terraces of Marine Parade, Wellington Esplanade and Kirkley Cliff (Malster 1991). It has been suggested that Peto’s design for South Lowestoft emulated the work of John Nash in London’s West End, although replacing Nash’s Regency Stucco with gault brick (Malster 1991), sourced from his recently acquired Somerleyton brickfields and more suited to the coastal environment. Floor plans of buildings in Wellington Esplanade Reproduced with permission of Lowestoft Development started with the Royal Records Office Hotel, the Esplanade and Triton Statues, to the immediate south of the harbour, in

10 1849. The Esplanade was laid out along brothers, opening in 1854 at what is now the seafront and comprised a series of the corner of St Johns Road and Italianate paired villas overlooking a walk Belvedere Road, a landmark site on along the seashore. The Royal Hotel, at entrance into South Lowestoft. Sadly the the north end of the Esplanade, became building was demolished in 1978 Lowestoft’s principal hotel and was built following a period of structural decline, by the Lucas brothers for hotelier Samuel its congregation amalgamating with that Howett. It is said that Howett provided of the Church of St Peter and St John in such a superior service ‘that the most Kirkley. On a less grand scale, Peto also fastidious and cynical of travellers would be at a built an estate of terraced housing for his loss for a subject whereon to indulge their workers to the north of the harbour and spleen’ (Malster 1991). Summer close to the railway station (Robb 2005, residences for the gentry were built along 51). This housing survives on the three the remainder of the Esplanade and parallel streets of Selby Street, Clemence described shortly after completion as ‘a Street and Stephens Street (Pers. Comm. I. terrace of beautiful stately mansions’ (White Bunn). 2004, 35). In tandem with the construction of Construction work continued in the South Lowestoft, Peto sought to provide following years, with Marine Parade entertainment for visitors to Lowestoft. constructed as lodging houses in 1851, The north and south breakwaters of the and Wellington Esplanade in 1853. harbour were transformed into Marine Parade was laid out parallel and recreational piers in 1853 with the to the west of the Esplanade, with a hotel addition of wooden decking, two small at its northern end, mirroring the octagonal gate lodges and an ornate iron position of the Royal Hotel on the gate located at its entrance. A one-storey Esplanade. This hotel was named the reading room was constructed on the Harbour Inn and was also owned by South Pier where, for a guinea, Samuel Howett. Marine Parade was, subscribers could read the latest however, considered to provide second- periodicals and where ‘Balls are held during class accommodation for those ‘not quite the Season which cannot fail to prove a great as pretentious as their peers on the attraction of the votaries of terpsichore’ (Cherry Esplanade’ (Robb 2005, 57). Wellington 1992, 5). Annual regattas also did much Esplanade (also known as Wellington to raise the profile of the town and Terrace) was built as lodging houses for encourage visitors, as may be seen in the the Wellington Esplanade Building description of Lowestoft as an ‘important Society and included the formally and rapidly improving town’ in the Illustrated planned Wellington Gardens to the front London News of 1855 (August 4th 1855). of the terrace, overlooking the sea. This was, and still is, the centrepiece of Peto’s In the 1860s, Peto was forced to sell his development of Lowestoft. Somerleyton Estate and abandon his work in Lowestoft following the To complete his development of a bankruptcy of his bankers and in turn his pleasure resort, Peto also included a own firm. However, his development church within his new town: the Church work had already significantly altered the of St John. The building was designed by Lowestoft townscape and had been Clemence and constructed by the Lucas sufficient to trigger the continued

11 Extract from Chamber’s Plan of Lowestoft and Kirkley, 1878

Reproduced with permission of Lowestoft Record Office

12 development of the town in the the western boundary of these fronting following decades. This subsequent onto London Road North and giving the expansion often incorporated elements road a gentrified, picturesque feel. The of Peto’s original plan, as may be seen in Grove Estate was sold following the the construction of Victoria Terrace and death of its owner in 1884, with St Villas in 1869 and Kirkley Cliff Terrace Margaret’s Villa Estate also sold at a in 1870. So successful was Peto’s similar date. Development of this land scheme that the focus of the town was extremely rapid with the gradually shifted away from the High construction of commercial and Street, towards the harbour and South residential properties across the entire Lowestoft, with the south beach site by 1905. One of the first buildings becoming the focus for tourism and constructed on the former Grove Estate pleasure activities, whilst the North was Ebenezer Tuttle’s Bon Marche Denes continued to be used for industry department store on the corner of and by smaller fishing vessels. Suffolk Road in 1888, followed in 1891 by the Turret Buildings (later known as The harbour remained central to the local Tuttle’s Corner) which was designed by economy and continued to develop Thomas Porter for Frederick Savage. It throughout the later 19th century. The comprised three separate residences with new Herring or Waveney Basin, with shops on the ground floor and became a associated market and offices, was popular landmark within the town. formed in 1883 to the northeast of the Trawl Basin, which had by this point To the south of the harbour, the growth been devoted specifically to the of South Lowestoft continued apace. In expanding trawling industry. The basin contrast to the grand terraces of the was expanded westwards in 1892-93 seafront, more modest lower status (now the Waveney Dock), necessitating development occurred to the west of the demolition of the cattle sheds. London Road South. The layout of Another herring basin was constructed to streets in these areas frequently preserves the north and opened in 1903 (now the existing field boundaries, reflecting the Hamilton Dock), followed by the purchase of land for development field construction of an associated market and by field, as may be seen in the line of office. Other businesses also developed Lawson Road and Colville Road. Union as a result of Lowestoft’s coastal location, Place, Grosvenor Road, Mill Road and St such as the Great Eastern Railway’s sale Johns Road were constructed by 1878, of three gallon kegs of seawater drawn with Windsor Road and Cleveland Road from the harbour which where delivered developed soon after. Expansion to the for bathing purposes for only six pence west was soon constrained by the Kirkley (Cherry 1992, 7). Branch Railway, with a more industrial character developing to the west of the To the north of the harbour, the line with the premises of firms such as townscape was dominated by the the Lucas Brothers Works. The area up privately-owned Grove Estate and St to the railway line continued to develop Margaret’s Villa Estate, situated to the throughout the following decades, with east of London Road North opposite the further construction of terraced worker’s railway station. Each comprised a large housing and the Mission Church, later house set within extensive gardens, with known as Colville Hall, on Colville Road.

13 The pleasure resort also continued to expand with the development of entertainments and attractions for visitors. Seaside entertainment included musicians, marionettes, Punch and Judy shows, boat hire, phrenologists and goat cart rides, whilst refreshments such as tea, ice cream and rock were readily available along the front. New hotels were constructed throughout South Lowestoft, most notably the Empire South Beach in a postcard of c.1904 Hotel, which opened in 1900 with 200 bedrooms and was the largest seaside hotel in Britain of the time (Robb 2005, 80). Much of the South Pier was rebuilt in 1891 following a fire. The new structure included a fine iron-framed pavilion, containing an assembly room, reading room and refreshment rooms, known as the South Pier Reading Room. At a cost one penny for admission, the popularity of pier was such that in one day in July 1893, over 6000 visitors were recorded (Parking 2001, 42). The Pier continued as a ‘favourite haunt’ for the upper classes throughout the Edwardian The Reading Room on the South Pier, c.1906 period. A guidebook from the period stated that:

‘the Pier, by virtue of its situation, is in the very heart of a number of diversions, and it is rare indeed for a Pier to have the advantage of being in the main current of the shipping, yachting and fishing life of the place … another interesting sight afforded by this Pier is the Breakwater, which in rough weather throws up charming mountains of spray. These occasionally also add to the The South Beach in the early 20th century amusement of visitors as they see one and another receive an unexpected shower- bath…’ (Malster 1991).

14 These attractions were added to in the environment. Advertisements of the early 20th century with the opening of 1900s the time described Lowestoft as Claremont Pier in 1903. Constructed by having ‘the most invigorating air in the British the Coast Development Corporation, the Isles’. In a postcard sent in 1904, one pier served as a landing stage for Belle visitor described Royal Plain and the Steamers, which operated a service south pier as being ‘Very quaint’ and between London and Yarmouth. The remarked that ‘This place is so charming I can appeal of the new pier declined when never come back.’ erosion of Kirkley Cliff in the winter of 1903 was blamed on the newly opened The southern shift of focus within pier (Robb 1995, 112). So severe was the Lowestoft led to the gradual erosion of Kirkley Cliff, the sea defences encroachment of the town onto the had to be strengthened to prevent the hamlet of Kirkley, which officially grand hotels and villas on the Upper became part of Lowestoft in 1854. Much Esplanade being lost to the sea. The Pier of this encroachment had already soon regained its popularity, however, occurred by 1878, with the area around with the extension of the pier head in London Road developed and newly laid 1912 to accommodate a new pavilion. out roads depicted between London The modernisation of the resort is Road and Kirkley on Chambers’ Map. reflected in the decision to retire the The historic core of Kirkley had also Victorian bathing machines in 1913 as expanded, but remained distinct from they were considered out of keeping with South Lowestoft. By the turn of the a modern resort. century, a picture of increasing urbanisation emerges with the Church of An integral part of the seaside character St Peter and St John gradually being of South Lowestoft was the presence of enclosed by surrounding housing. yachts and pleasure boats. To cater for Substantial houses were being this demand, the Norfolk and Suffolk constructed on Kirkley Cliff Road during Yacht Club had been founded in 1859 by the 1890s and 1900s, some of which a few boating gentlemen to control racing were situated on land previously forming along the seafront. The club had gained part of the Kirkley Cliff Estate (LRO a clubhouse on the seafront in 1886, a 1117/276/70). modest single-storey weatherboarded structure, built on the present Yacht Club Despite the growth of Lowestoft as a site and subsequently reused as a pavilion pleasure resort, the fishing industry in the Crown Meadow Football Ground. continued as a vital part of the economy Having attained the title of the Royal in the early 20th century. Seasonal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club in 1898, workers, such as Scottish herring girls, a new ‘custom built yacht club of fairly became a well-known sight within the advanced design for the date’, designed by town every autumn. By 1911, at the peak George John Skipper, was erected in of production in the British fishing 1902 and opened in 1903. Extensions to industry, Lowestoft’s population had the Club in 1920-2 were also undertaken risen to 37,886. The onset of the First by George John Skipper (Malster 1991). World War, however, greatly reduced fishing as the Admiralty requisitioned Lowestoft’s foremost attraction, steamboats for patrolling and however, remained its situation and built minesweeping resulting in the growth of

15 other industries, such as shipbuilding and engineering. During the First World War Lowestoft was bombarded by both sea and air; the worst raid occurring over Easter 1916 when 240 buildings were damaged and four people killed.

The inter-war period witnessed the peak of Lowestoft as a tourist destination, with the beaches, hotels and guest houses regularly full. The success of the resort is The South Pier in the early 20th century seen in a number of civic enterprises of the time. Foremost amongst these was the construction of a new promenade along the base of Kirkley Cliff from Claremont Pier south towards Pakefield. Constructed at a cost of £60,000 and named Jubilee Parade, it was described in a souvenir programme of the time as ‘a fine tangible memorial of the Silver Jubilee of George V and also the fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the borough of Lowestoft’ (Parkin 2001, 49). As part of this scheme, a number of structures were incorporated within the Parade including the Victoria Bathing Chalets, and Jubilee Parade Chalets. These structures provided private beachside chalets for The South Beach in the early 20 century visitors, as well as a platform from which to observe the beach, creating a three-tier seafront along with the Esplanade and Parade. As part of the modern redevelopment of the seafront, villas on the Esplanade built as part of the Peto scheme were bought by the council and demolished to open up the seafront to the public.

A further significant civic work was the establishment of Kensington Gardens at the southern end of the Esplanade. This area was undeveloped heathland before its purchase in 1898 by Spiers and Pond Ltd who constructed the Empire Hotel on the northern part of the site and sold Electric boats in Kensington Gardens the remaining land to the council in 1914 for £3800. Initially used to grow crops

16 for the war effort, it was developed into a new structure in the following year, park in the 1920s by local businessmen including a 70 foot high observation Selwyn Humphrey and Arthur Tuttle, as tower known as the Space Tower. part of a scheme to provide work for the Modernisation of the resort, however, town’s unemployed (Robb 2005, 86). couldn’t rival the growth of air travel and The original layout of the park is shown the lure of foreign holidays. Lowestoft’s on the 1927 OS map, revealing tennis tourist industry began to decline courts to the west, a band stand to the throughout the 1960s, as demonstrated north and a pavilion (now the tearooms) by the demolition of the Royal Hotel in to the south. A boating lake with electric 1973, a central part of Peto’s scheme for boats was designed by S.W. Mobbs and Lowestoft. This key site remained vacant opened in 1933, whilst other attractions for twenty years until the construction of included aviaries, a Japanese themed the East Point Pavilion in 1993. garden, bowling greens and tearooms. Being situated at the south end of the The later decades of the 20th century Esplanade, Kensington Gardens proved were a period of considerable change a pleasant and popular destination on the within Lowestoft. Large numbers of seafront. The highlight of the season historic buildings around the High Street from the 1920s was the annual summer were demolished, and the Beach Village carnival. was cleared. The construction of the relief road further exacerbated this During World War II, Lowestoft was an situation by cutting through the historic important naval base with surrounding street pattern, although successfully defences of trenches, pillboxes and dense reducing traffic levels on the High Street. belts of barbed wire. The beach was South Lowestoft was spared the worst of strewn with mines, the Esplanade these changes; however, it did endure a covered with barbed wire and sections period of several day’s separation from removed from both piers (Parkin 2001, the north of the town when the Victorian 49). Wellington Gardens were destroyed bascule bridge broke in 1968. Despite by the construction of air raid shelters the rebuilding of the fish market in the and trenches. The town suffered 93 1980s, the fishing industry was suffering enemy raids with 275 people killed. from problems with fewer catches, over- Rebuilding schemes occurred in the fishing and ever-increasing costs (Robb following decades, including the re- 2005, 102). By the close of the century, establishment of Wellington Gardens and only a handful of trawlers remained substantial rebuilding in London Road based at the port. North. In the early years of the 21st century, In the years following the war, tourism Lowestoft has been subject to returned to Lowestoft, with over 6000 considerable renewal. The development visitors recorded entering the town by of new industries, such as renewable train on a single day in August 1956 energy, and a resurgence in maritime (Parkin 2001, 54). New attractions were skills, have revitalised the local economy. established along the seafront, including In terms of the built environment, the a miniature railway and boating lake. The Sunrise Scheme has improved the public Victorian Pavilion on the South Pier was realm through much of the South demolished in 1955 and replaced with a Lowestoft Conservation Area, revitalising

17 the seafront and the historic core of South Lowestoft.

Archaeological Significance

There are no Scheduled Ancient Monuments within Lowestoft.

The proximity of South Lowestoft to the site of Palaeolithic occupation in Pakefield raises uncertain potential for the discovery of similarly dated deposits within the town. Some evidence of Neolithic and Bronze Age activity is suggested by finds by local archaeologists and documentary evidence, indicating some potential for further archaeological survival. Limited evidence of Roman The Wind Turbine at Ness Point activity is known within Lowestoft; however, finds recorded in the 19th century around Roman Hill, combined with the use of the Waveney as a communication route in this period, raises the potential for the presence of Roman archaeological evidence. No archaeological evidence is currently known of the town’s earliest origins; although some finds of Anglo-Saxon pottery near the Rotterdam Road, St Peter Street, Normanston Drive roundabout are known locally (Pers. Comm. D. Butcher), suggesting a focus for activity in this period and potential for further evidence.

The area covered by Lowestoft South Conservation Area was largely undeveloped until the mid-19th century and very little archaeological work has been carried out. Therefore, there is limited potential for evidence relating to medieval and post-medieval activity in South Beach this area.

There are numerous sites on the local Historic Environment Record relating to Lowestoft’s 19th century history in the 18 South Lowestoft area, alongside further significant spaces and visual components sites associated with World War II within the setting of the conservation structures. area. The dockside areas are not readily accessible to the public; however they are Spatial Analysis of historic significance, continued importance to the local economy and of The South Lowestoft Conservation Area contribution to the local sense of covers a long narrow area c.2km long, identity. To the north of this, the running approximately north-south, streetscape is dominated by tall three- along the seashore to the south of Lake storey buildings forming continuous Lothing. The spatial form of the frontages and enclosing views within the conservation area reflects its streetscape. This character shifts as it development from the 18th century continues to the south, ranging from onwards, and particularly its planned continuous commercial frontages to the expansion from the mid-19th century. Of north, to set-back terraced houses with central importance to the conservation green front gardens to the south. The area as a whole is the proximity of the elongated and built up character of the beach and North Sea along its eastern streetscape encourages long views both boundary. It was these that provided the north and south. impetus for the expansion of Lowestoft and which defined much of its character To the north of the Bascule Bridge, the and appearance. conservation area forms part of the town centre of Lowestoft. Centred around Within the designated area, the street Station Square and London Road North, plan is formed predominantly by long this area is dominated by the passage of straight roads laid out parallel to the pedestrians between commercial seashore and punctuated by short premises. Continuous and varied perpendicular streets which allow views frontages enclose the streetscape and towards the beach. The spine of the establish a strong sense of place, further conservation area is formed by London enhanced by the presence of public art in Road North and London Road South. Station Square in the form of a metal Originally a track which linked Lowestoft sculpture entitled ‘Spirits of Lowestoft’ with Pakefield, the route was turnpiked and created by Charles Normandale. in 1785 to provide a road to London, and Shared back lanes run to the rear of now runs continuously from High Street properties in this area, flanked by hard in the north of Lowestoft, crossing the standings and providing access to the Harbour, to join London Road Pakefield rear of commercial premises. These are to the south. marginal areas, providing service facilities for local businesses, and do not actively To the north of the conservation area, contribute to the conservation area. the harbour and Lake Lothing serve to separate and define the north and south Laid out to the east and parallel to portions of the conservation area, and London Road South are the formal provide a clear boundary to Peto’s terraces of Marine Parade, Victoria expansion of the town. The expanse of Terrace, Wellington Esplanade and Lake Lothing and the Trawl Basin to Kirkley Cliff. These streets are formally either side of the Bascule Bridge form planned to give good vistas eastwards to 19 the sea and westwards to the building frontages, enhanced by the presence of compact forecourt gardens. Moving up Kirkley Cliff Road, paired and detached villas are set within larger private gardens, setting them back from the broad street and establishing a green and spacious character. The rise of Kirkley Cliff to the south and the presence of long formal Lake Lothing from the Bascule Bridge streetscapes provides both a focus for views to the south and a platform for long views to the north. A more suburban character is established to the southwest of the conservation area around the Church of St Peter and St John. Here there is a combination of terraced and detached houses set within larger gardens. These are set well back from the streetfront and have long gardens extending to the rear, forming enclosed private spaces. London Road looking north The eastern boundary of the conservation area is formed by the Esplanade and Upper Esplanade. These pedestrian routes run alongside the beach and parallel to the north-south street plan of the conservation area, giving strong views out across the sea. Private gardens lining the Esplanade are largely visible to passing pedestrians, establishing them as semi-private spaces.

Wellington Esplanade A number of public open spaces are from the Esplanade present along the Esplanade, punctuating the seaside townscape. In particular, the north end of the Esplanade terminates in the public open space of Royal Plain. Laid out as part of Peto’s original scheme for South Lowestoft it survives today as a key open space within the town. The recently completed renewal of the public realm in this area, including water jet fountains, paving, street furniture and lighting has established this as a The Esplanade looking significant open space within the north conservation area, creating a strong sense

20 of arrival into the pleasure resort of movement into the Gardens. South Lowestoft and of great enjoyment to both residents and visitors. Key Views and Vistas A number of key views and vistas are Royal Green, located between Marine present into and out of the conservation Parade and the Esplanade was created area. These include: through the demolition of a series of Victorian villas from the 1930s and  London Road North looking housed seaside attractions such as a north towards the High Street swimming pool and miniature railway in th the mid-20 century. Today it is simply  Northwest from South Pier across lawned, with a car park adjacent to the the harbour Parade and provides a valuable and flexible public open space. Royal Green  Southwest from South Pier across establishes good visual links between the the South Beach beach, Esplanade, and townscape to the west, encouraging movement between  Marine Parade looking south the two. towards Kirkley Cliff

Wellington Gardens, located in front of  North and south along London Wellington Esplanade, the centrepiece of Road South Peto’s development, were an integral part of the design of the new town, and are  East along Claremont Road protected from development by a towards Claremont Pier covenant established by Peto. The Gardens remain today as a formally laid  Upper Esplanade eastwards to the out green space, dominated by lawns and sea flower beds and lined by gravel paths, retaining much of their historic character  Esplanade west towards and enabling good views to and from the Wellington Esplanade and Kirkley formal terrace of Wellington Esplanade. Cliff

Kensington Gardens is set at the south  Kensington Road eastwards to the end of the Esplanade and was laid out in sea the 1920s following the acquisition of the land by the Town Council. A compact  Pakefield Road southeast to the and pleasant park, the gardens retain sea much of their original plan and planting, forming a good terminus to the Upper Esplanade. Within the park the presence of mature trees, cottage-style single- storey park buildings, and formal fencing serves to create an enclosed and varied character, largely concealed from the adjacent Upper Esplanade and Kirkley Cliff Road, whilst the formal gateways from these streets encourage pedestrian

21 Character areas within the South Lowestoft Conservation Area

22 CHARACTER ANALYSIS water, the Harbour Character Area rapidly developed with houses, hotels The South Lowestoft Conservation Area and shops, aided by the sale of the Grove comprises four areas of distinct Estate and St Margaret’s Villa Estate in character, as indicated by their history, the 1880s. Throughout the 19th and 20th built form, morphology and use. Key centuries, this area was a central focus buildings of positive townscape within the town, and today it retains a contribution are identified and mapped broad mixture of building types and in Appendix 1. styles, reflecting its importance to the development of modern Lowestoft. Character Area 1: The Harbour In its plan form, the Harbour Character Character Area 1: The Harbour Area reflects the importance of The Harbour Character Area developed communications to Lowestoft’s growth. following the passing of the Norwich and At its heart lies Station Square, a public Lowestoft Navigation Bill in 1827, with open space in front of the station, whilst the construction of the harbour and the running north-south through its centre is cutting of the lock into Lake Lothing. London Road North, part of the turnpike Peto’s subsequent development of the road to London. This in turn leads past harbour in the mid-19th century and the the trawl basin and across the bascule opening of the railway station in 1847 bridge at the entrance to Lake Lothing. ensured that this area was of central Each of these transport links was of great importance to the growth and significance in forging the modern development of modern Lowestoft. As character of Lowestoft. the entrance to the town, both by rail and

The Harbour Character Area

23 Architectural and Historic Qualities of Buildings The buildings within the Harbour Character Area are principally of mid to late 19th century date and reflect a range of building types and functions. The central position of this character area has resulted in continuous frontages ranging from one to three storeys in The Post Office, London height, with particularly high densities Road North along London Road North and Station Square.

London Road North is dominated by the presence of substantial commercial structures, often with display windows at first-floor level. Principal amongst these buildings are the Post Office and Natwest Bank, located at numbers 51 and 53 London Road North. These represent imposing classical style Tuttle’s Corner, buildings constructed in the late 19th Station Square century and 1860s respectively. In contrast with the formal styling of the post office, adjacent commercial buildings tend towards a more decorative architectural style, as is most clearly demonstrated by the ornate treatment of the former Tuttle’s Department Store with its foliate carving and moulded brickwork. Features commonly found within the buildings of London Road North include first-floor Terraced housing on bay windows, decorative lintels and Grove Road moulded floor bands. Unity within the streetscape is achieved through the use of similar storey and roof heights.

The flanking streets contain building of more modest scale, interspersing shops with flats above, with more modest shops, townhouses and two-storey houses, resulting in an ever-shifting roofline. Similarities in scale and massing ensure that the buildings form a Much altered historic ware- coherent streetscape, whilst there is houses on Battery Green considerable contrast in architectural Road 24 styling. This is aptly demonstrated by Lucas brothers to replace the original numbers 4 to 8 Suffolk Street; three station, it remains as a well-detailed and buildings of modest and similar scale attractive gault brick building of simple which employ respectively gothic, classically inspired design, characteristic Palladian and simple moulded brick of the buildings of South Lowestoft. The decoration. Some good historic shop station frontage to Denmark Road is well fronts are retained within these streets. detailed and forms a positive element The domestic buildings found on Battery within the streetscape. The two-storey Green, Grove Road, Beach Road and structure to the east, however, is Commercial Road use repetitive and currently disused with boarded windows uniform facades, employing features such and doors below a good mid-20th century as bay windows, paired and recessed station sign. Internally, the structure has entrances and continuous eaves heights, been extensively modernised with the to create coherent and pleasant removal of the roof and insertion of streetscapes. brightly coloured platform furniture. The ground adjacent to the Station on A number of historic buildings associated Station Square is poorly maintained and with the maritime industries of Lowestoft serves to create an air of neglect, survive around this character area. Of emphasised by the severing effect of the particular significance is the grade II A12. To the south of the station, a short listed Custom’s House, located on North stretch of railway line remains in place Quay to the north of Lake Lothing, its which formerly led to the trawl market. formal and understated architecture This is a rare survival of the former rail reflecting the growth of civic pride in the lines associated with the harbour. Lowestoft’s maritime industries in the mid-19th century. A small number of In contrast, the eastern side of Station warehouses and other industrial Square is pedestrianised with good structures survive around Waveney Road quality paving and a modern sculpture and Battery Green. Typically these are entitled ‘Spirits of Lowestoft’, whilst the tall, narrow brick structures gabled to the broad streetscape of London Road street, although now much altered for North extends to the north, encouraging modern use. pedestrian movement towards the shopping area. The buildings of Tuttles Character Analysis Department Store flank the east side of The Harbour Character Area centres Station Square and form an excellent first around Station Square, a large open space impression of the town with their strong located at the junction of London Road façade and good detailing. The north North and South, Denmark Road, Bevan side of Station Square is more disjointed Street East, Suffolk Street and Surrey in appearance with Opportunity House, a Street. The space is enclosed by a range generic office block of 1980s date of two- and three-storey buildings of constructed on the site of the Suffolk varied form and date. The presence of Hotel and of no contribution to the the busy A12 along the west of Station historic environment. To the west, at the Square, with Lowestoft Central Station junction with Denmark Road is the located on its western edge, makes this a former Imperial Hotel, now numbers 2- significant entry point into central 10 Denmark Road, (even numbers), one Lowestoft. Constructed in 1855 by the of a few surviving Victorian Hotels

25 within Lowestoft. Now converted for use as shops at ground-floor level with flats above, the building suffers as a result of poor quality shop fronts and an over-bearing modern awning; however, the curved corner bay to Station Square positively addresses the adjacent streetscapes and forms an interesting historic element. The Denmark Road Lowestoft Station from Station Square streetscape extends beyond the conservation area, lined by tall townhouses to the north and railway lines to the south, a view now generally dominated by high levels of stationary traffic.

London Road North exits through the north side of Station Square and is formed by a wide street lined by tall imposing Victorian buildings. Despite the inauspicious presence of the late 20th ‘Spirits of Lowestoft’ century structures of Opportunity House and the Halifax Bank flanking the entrance from Station Square, this is a varied and visually interesting streetscape of elaborate buildings, well detailed across their upper storeys with modern shop fronts dominating the ground floor. Architecturally the buildings range in style from the Gothicised decoration of numbers 39- 45, through the formal classicism of the Post Office, to the understated moulded The former Imperial brick decoration present along the Hotel, 2-10 Denmark eastern side of the street. Number 58 London Road South is rare in being the only building to retain significant architectural detailing at ground-floor level in the form of a fine recessed corner entrance, with well-executed foliate moulding to the doorcase, cornice and lintels. London Road North extends beyond the conservation area to join with the High Street. It has formed the principal shopping thoroughfare London Road North since the mid-19th century and continues

26 as the focus for the modern town centre storey red brick building designed by W. in Lowestoft today. J. Williams, of streetscape presence for its use of heraldic panels and large first-floor Bevan Street East runs northwest from mullion and transom windows, despite Station Square, terminating at Katwijk unsympathetic alterations to the ground Way, a significant north-south road route floor. through the town centre. This is a pleasantly varied streetscape of mixed Suffolk Road extends from Station building height and detail. Towards Square to the east and continues the Station Square there is a higher density of commercial character from London Road building with the presence of three- North and Station Square, although at a storey Victorian buildings to the north of lesser scale. Curving round to meet the street providing shops at ground Battery Green Road, the streetscape floor and accommodation above, encloses views and comprises buildings commonly using details such as first- of late 19th and 20th century date, of floor bay windows, eared architraves, and understated but varied architectural style. bracketed cornices. Some good historic Shop fronts again dominate the ground shop fronts are retained, such as that to floor, with large plate glass windows number 131-132 Bevan Street East, across the Godfreys store to the north whilst some first-floor display windows and remnants of historic shop fronts to have been inserted as at the Thistle the south such as pilasters and console Gallery. To the northwest, the scale of brackets. The construction of short building decreases with the presence of terraces and individual buildings by two-storey domestic buildings, now separate owners along Suffolk Street has converted for commercial use at ground- resulted in a shifting roofscape floor level. Of particular interest are throughout the street, and particularly numbers 1-7 Bevan Street East, a short along its south side. Of local historic and terrace of two-storey cottages which architectural interest is the former formerly included front gardens, now Institute of the Fisherman’s Mission, incorporated into the street. now incorporated within the Godfreys store. Used as a public library from Within the boundaries of the 1951, the building remains a significant conservation area, Surrey Street is a element within the streetscape due to its changing streetscape of predominantly elegant use of classical detailing and later Victorian character, in stark contrast significance to the social history of to the bulk of the mid-20th century Lowestoft. Also of interest within this Telephone Exchange and entrance to the area is the site of the mediaeval Good multi-storey car park opposite. To the Cross Chapel, a notable local wayside west, a terrace of individually designed, shrine, located close to the site of substantial terraced houses form the Godfrey’s Store. frontage of the conservation area, most of which are now in office use. Of In contrast with the commercial particular contribution to the streetscape architecture of the adjacent streets, Beach are numbers 9, 13 and 17 for the quality Road, Grove Road and the north end of of their architectural detailing. Also of Battery Green Road retain a markedly interest is the Beaconsfield Conservative domestic character in their architecture. Club at number 7, a substantial three- Laid out following the sale of the estates

27 of St Margaret’s Villa and the Grove in the 1880s, these streets are lined by terraced houses of two and three storeys, constructed of red brick with contrasting coade stone dressings. In design, these buildings are unified through the use of paired entrances, canted bay windows extending through three storeys and mansard roofs. In 1-7 Bevan Street East detail, however, there is some variation including the use of skewback lintels, both with and without projecting key stones, chamfered coade stone lintels, first-floor balconies and well-moulded cornices to the first floor. Numbers 12- 15 Grove Road are of significance for the individual high quality design of this terrace, and particularly the use of finely moulded brickwork around the doors, windows and cornices.

Numbers 12 & 14 Beach House to the east of Beach Road Beach Road is a key building within the streetscape due to its regular stuccoed elevation, and use of classical detail. Constructed as the Star Building, it was refronted by R. S. Cockrill for J & W Stuarts, net manufacturers, in the late 19th century. Subsequently used by the Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, it is now converted for residential use. Also of interest is the preservation of a series of loading doors along the east elevation, Beach House, Beach Road now in use as mews housing and forming a pleasing and surprising element within the townscape.

To the west of Grove Road a pair of well-detailed commercial structures survive. Number 11 includes a shaped gable, pediments and parapets to windows, whilst numbers 1 and 3 Beach Road, formerly the premises of Flood and Son Stationers and Printers, includes a well-detailed corner entrance, flanked Numbers 1-3 Beach by Corinthian columns which include a Road, formerly Flood and Sons carved alphabet wrapping around the 28 capitals and a medallion in the parapet meet Battery Green Road, still flanked by above, showing the crest of Lowestoft. the palisade fence to the south. At the Also of some interest is the street laid out corner the black, tarred façade of the parallel to London Road North named Fishermen’s Mission hides a well Bon Marche after the department store. proportioned classical elevation (possibly Despite their pleasant character, these by local architect W. J. Roberts) and an streetscapes are dominated by the rear of element of the social history of the commercial premises on London Road docks. To the east of this is the North and suffer as a result of the vacant Columbus Building, constructed in the site adjacent to Bon Marche. early 20th century, the bland styling of the ground and first floors support a fine In contrast with Station Square and second floor and parapet, employing adjacent streets, the area neighbouring contrasting coloured tile with stylised Art the docks reflects Lowestoft’s maritime Nouveau foliate capitals and a large history. Central to this character is the mural depicting sailing ships, possibly by presence of the Trawl Basin. Doulton and Co. of Lambeth. Constructed as part of Peto’s original development of the docks and extended Moving into Battery Green Road, a in the 1880s, the dock remains in use number of tall narrow buildings gabled to today. The basin is accessible to vessels the road and of predominantly later 19th from the Outer Harbour and is flanked century date are reminiscent of the by a long open jetty to the north. The traditional building forms once harbour is not openly accessible to the commonplace amongst the maritime public and is defined by a heavy steel industries of Lowestoft. The buildings of palisade fence to Waveney Road, Boardtal Leisure, to the north of the severing views from the adjacent junction with Suffolk Street, preserve streetscapes: However, it continues to elements of a historic warehouse, as form a significant element within the indicated by its gabled form, as well as modern townscape and perception of the pantile roof and loading doors. Of Lowestoft. particular note for its distinctive form and good architectural detailing is the Situated adjacent to the Trawl Basin is Gourock Rope Works building. The Waveney Road; a major road route Hippodrome Bingo is a contrastingly through the conservation area. With a modern building that employs large continuous frontage along its northern expanses of colour and blunt detailing, side, the streetscape at ground-floor level but sits well within its townscape context is formed by modern frontages of little or due to its respect of surrounding scale no architectural merit. The upper and massing. storeys, however, retain much of their historic character. To the west, Waveney Returning to the junction of the Outer Road is lined by a series of tall narrow Harbour and Station Square, the buildings of assorted design, punctuated conservation area narrows to cross the by regular bay windows running from Bascule Bridge, spanning across the inner first to second floor, and unified by and outer harbours, and forming a continuous eaves height and distinct boundary to this character area. complementary detailing. The Constructed in the 1970s to replace the streetscape curves around to the north to 19th century swingbridge, the Bascule

29 Bridge is of functional design, incorporating gantries for traffic signals and moving barriers to control movement. To the northeast of this, the Harbour Master’s Office is a modest structure constructed contemporarily with the bridge. Of simple design, the building sits comfortably within the harbour and contrasts favourably with Waveney Road looking west Customs House, a building of classical proportions constructed during the 1830s development of the harbour and now grade II listed. The continuation of the steel palisade fencing around the dockside in this area provides a definite division between the publicly accessible streetscape and the private dock areas, constraining both movement and views.

Elements of the architectural style found across the seafront can be seen on Detail from mural on the numbers 7-11 Station Square and Cookridge Buildings Commercial Road, adjacent to the Bascule Bridge. Commercial Road was laid out for speculative development in 1852 and a terrace of two- and three- storey buildings was gradually constructed by developers. Comprising shops with flats above, the terrace enjoys a high level of cohesion despite its individual construction. Architecturally, it contains both well detailed buildings with fine window The Gourock Rope cases and moulded cornices, and simply Works, Battery Green Road detailed structures with limited ornamentation. Other features of note include the finely moulded shop front to Number 1 and the glazed tile pub façade at numbers 5 and 6. Moving out of the conservation area to the west, the streetscape becomes more industrial in character comprising a number of gap sites and individual structures associated with the Inner Harbour.

Commercial Road looking 7-11 Station Square (odd numbers) is a west three-storey terrace overlooking the

30 Trawl Basin. Constructed in pale gault Local details brick with good classical decoration and a well proportioned façade, a recent scheme of restoration has revealed the fine detailing of the structure and enhanced its streetscape presence. A short row of single-storey shops extends to the north and retains pilasters and console brackets between properties, providing some architectural interest despite the insertion of poor quality shop fronts.

Local Details and Building Materials The buildings of the Harbour Character Area are constructed principally in gault brick, with some red brick and occasional use of render and colourwash. Recent cleaning of some buildings, such as numbers 43 and 45 London Road North has revealed the pale golden colour of the gault brick now obscured on many buildings by accumulated dirt. Later 20th century buildings; however, employ different materials such as dark sand- finished brick and rendered panels, which sit uncomfortably within the historic townscape. Typically for buildings of the mid-late 19th century, roofing is largely of slate, although, to their detriment, a number of buildings now have concrete pantile roofs. Dressings, such a lintels and capitals are generally executed in coade stone, enabling the fine moulding of decorative details. Finely moulded brickwork is also characteristic of this area, such as the excellent doorcases and cornices visible on Grove Road. Moulded tiles are also employed in a number of structures, frequently using a floral motif.

Decorative architectural details are generally found above the ground floor and include a wide vocabulary of features. Such details are often classical in form such as the Corinthian pilasters

2731 of 17 Station Square, or the columns supporting the over-door cornice of 9 Surrey Street, whilst more idiosyncratic details are also present, as may be seen in the inclusion of the alphabet in the capitals of the former printer’s premises at 1-3 Beach Road, the barley twist moulding of the window jambs at 17 Surrey Street, or the timber-frame Traffic in Station Square decoration in the gables of 2-15 Waveney Road. A further interesting feature is the carving of building names into lintels, such as the Gourock Rope Works or Baltic Chambers.

Historic shop fronts are retained by a small number of properties within the character area and often include well- detailed features such as moulded spandrels and capitals to pilasters and columns, as may be seen in 32 Station 8-10 Denmark Road Square. Other frontages often retain historic pilasters and console brackets between properties, whilst first-floor display windows also feature in a number of properties.

Intrusive and damaging factors The Harbour Character Area is of considerable importance to the South Lowestoft Conservation Area; however, its quality and significance are degraded by a number of factors. 35 & 37 London Road North High traffic levels dominate Waveney Road and the A12 through Station Square, impeding pedestrian passage and resulting in noise and pollution. The pinch point of the Bascule Bridge leads to the presence of near stationary traffic along Station Square, Waveney Road and Denmark Road. Within the Square this detracts from the quality of the adjacent public realm making it feel something of a transient space, although 15 Surrey Street this has been improved by recent hard landscaping.

32 Inappropriate, incremental alterations Within this character area there are a have damaged the historic character of number of vacant structures that are many buildings within the character area. poorly maintained, or house poor quality Refenestration has occurred across a uses. These buildings contribute to an air number of buildings, often with the of neglect within the character area, as removal of sash windows and their demonstrated by number 10 Denmark replacement with top hung casements or Road. uPVC frames. Such alterations damage the rhythm and formal design of an A number of buildings which do not elevation and, within a terrace, detracts contribute to the character of the from the unity of the whole. The conservation area have been identified in insertion of small or picture windows in this assessment. These are: place of sash windows is particularly damaging in this respect. Similarly the  35 & 37 London Road North painting of individual brick buildings  34 & 36 London Road North within a terrace is of detriment to its  15 Surrey Street overall design, drawing attention to the specific structure and obscuring the quality of the original brickwork. The cumulative impact of these changes is well demonstrated by the buildings of Commercial Road.

Major modern intervention into a historic structure is demonstrated at number 15 Surrey Street, where it has resulted in a rather curious hybrid of Victorian and 20th century architecture, in a most unsatisfactory and unsuccessful manner.

Poorly designed modern shop frontages feature in several buildings within this character area. Frequently employing over large and inappropriately designed signage and large plate glass windows, these frontages are of detriment to the conservation area and often degrade the character of the historic building that they are situated within, as demonstrated by numbers 3 and 4 Commercial Road. Similarly a number of pub and club frontages are also of poor quality, both in materials and design, as demonstrated by number 20-21 Commercial Road.

33 The Seafront Character Area

34 Character Area 2: The Seafront villas, and formally laid-out open public spaces. This is punctuated by short east- The Seafront Character Area covers a west streets linking the seafront and the linear strip, aligned north-south along the main commercial focus of London Road seafront, to the immediate south of the South. The area to the north is relatively harbour. Prior to the mid-19th century, flat, rising gently to the south along this area comprised part of the Lowestoft Kirkley Cliff. Lampland; however in 1846, it was purchased by Sir Samuel Morton Peto Architectural and Historic Qualities of and developed as a pleasure resort. The Buildings result was a series of grand seaward- The buildings within the Seafront facing terraces of townhouses, lodging Character Area were constructed from houses, villas and a number of large the mid-19th century onwards, with hotels, which provided accommodation Victorian architecture predominant for the holidaying gentry. The strip throughout. The speculative nature of immediately fronting the sea was Peto's development is reflected in the developed into a promenade (which repetitive uniform architecture of currently lies outside the conservation buildings within the grand terraces such area), with a mixture of fine villas and as Marine Parade and Wellington open public spaces set along it. Peto was Esplanade. These comprise a series of declared bankrupt in the 1860s, however formal, well-proportioned facades, in a his vision for Lowestoft was continued classical architectural style. They are set by speculative buildings projects, such as slightly back from the road with small the construction of Kirkley Cliff. forecourted gardens, often giving access Lowestoft reached its zenith as a holiday to the basement, with narrow gardens to resort in the inter-war years, when many the rear. modifications were made to the seafront, including the laying out of Kensington As this area developed over a short Gardens and the demolition of structures period of time, it has a relatively cohesive on the Esplanade to open up views to appearance. This is evident the sea. The area still caters for tourists, architecturally with a uniformity in scale with various forms of guest and design, repetitive design and the use accommodation along the seafront; of common building materials. however, a large number of the Properties are generally constructed in properties are now in residential use. gault brick and of three storeys in height, Most buildings date from the mid-late with well-detailed features such as 19th century, which, alongside its formally doorcases, sash windows with margin planned design, provides a sense of glazing, decorative tiles and modillion cohesion to the area and results in a cornices. Despite its development as a series of grand, spacious streetscapes. high-status resort, some variety of status between buildings is still apparent. The The urban morphology of the Seafront buildings of highest status originally Character Area still clearly reflects its occupied the seafront along the origins in the mid-19th century. It is Esplanade, although many of these dominated by a series of north-south structures have now been demolished or streets laid out parallel to the seashore heavily altered. Those set to the west of and lined by grand Victorian terraces and this, and particularly Marine Parade, were 35 deemed to be of secondary status.

The buildings of Victoria Terrace, Wellington Esplanade and Kirkley Cliff are designated as grade II listed buildings. Other buildings which contribute to the local character are detailed in full in Appendix 1.

Wellington Esplanade Character Analysis and Kirkley Cliff from the Esplanade The northern point of the Seafront Character Area forms the large open space of Royal Plain. Laid out as part of Peto's development of Lowestoft, Royal Plain has recently been subject to a scheme of improvement. At its centre is situated the war memorial and a modern fountain consisting of 74 water jets. It is flanked to the north by the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club and yacht basin. Built in 1903 by G & F The Royal Norfolk and Skipper, the Yacht Club is listed grade Suffolk Yacht Club II* and, in contrast with Skippers’ other buildings in Lowestoft, displays an overt arts and crafts influence, the building taking inspiration from the work of C. F. Voysey. The Yacht Club uses the arts and crafts style with rendered and asymmetrical elevations, establishing a high level of architectural quality to the open space and contrasting pleasingly with the classical detailing of the Harbour Hotel and numbers 1 and 2 Royal Plain. Pedestrian Access to the The south pier projects seawards to the South Pier east of Royal Plain. A low, modern building of no intrinsic architectural merit is located at the entrance to the pier, largely deterring pedestrian access onto the pier, which is now limited to a passageway either side of the building. To the south of Royal Plain, however, East Point Pavilion appears rather incongruous, being a large uPVC glazed structure built in 1993, and designed as a modern interpretation of Victorian East Point Pavillion pavilion architecture. Royal Plain forms the entrance to South Lowestoft from

36 the north of the harbour and is an Peto's planned development of South effective congregating point, enhanced Lowestoft. The terraces can be viewed by the high quality public realm, street from the seafront, promoting a grand furniture and fountains. The sense of scale and status within the surrounding buildings hold businesses townscape. Victoria Terrace, Wellington such as pubs, food outlets, tourist Esplanade and Kirkley Cliff can also be information and seaside entertainment, viewed together from Wellington drawing visitors into the area and Gardens, with vistas continuing along the encouraging its enjoyment. Although road to the south. Marine Parade, contained on most sides by buildings, it however, is set back slightly from the still retains a sense of openness, with others, and a curve in the road blocks any some views towards the beach and long oblique views to and from it along harbour. the thoroughfare.

To the west of Royal Plain, and Marine Parade, located towards the north overlooking the Inner Harbour, Pier of the character area, formed the lower Terrace begins to establish the status lodging houses within Peto's architectural style of South Lowestoft, Lowestoft. Each pair of properties in the with the use of classical detailing and well terrace of 50 is of uniform design with proportioned building elevations. Some hanging tenancies used to create the Victorian shop fronts are retained, such appearance of a single symmetrical as that at number 2 Pier Terrace, whilst property. Within each pair of buildings, the presence of a good dentil and paired doors are flanked to either side by modillion cornice and Palladian windows a bay window, rising through first-floor gives visual interest to the upper storeys. level, with the central 'hanging' window Number 9 Pier Terrace was constructed between and a further three windows on in the late 20th century, but imitates the the second floor. Each property shares a classical detail across the rest of the large ridge chimney of sixteen flues with terrace and sits comfortably within its its neighbour. The central property of historic context. The RNLI statue, the terrace (now numbers 28 and 29) is located on the harbour-side and to the double-fronted and demarcated with a north of the terrace, provides an central pilastered porch and pedimented evocative reminder of the inherent bay window over. The uniformity of hazards of Lowestoft's sea-faring history, house design along Marine Parade creates and its long-established links with the a highly repetitive appearance, RNLI. emphasising the considerable length of the terrace. Long views towards the To the south, the character of the area is terrace were established in the 1930s, more firmly established. The main with the demolition of Peto's original north-south road runs parallel to the villas on the Esplanade and the coast, and is lined to the west by the establishment of Royal Green. The grand terraces of Peto's new town undeveloped nature of Royal Green development: Marine Parade, Victoria enables long, panoramic views out to sea Terrace, Wellington Esplanade and and back towards the principal façade of Kirkley Cliff. These terraces should be Marine Parade, creating a sense of considered as a single townscape group spaciousness and emphasising the due to their construction resulting from repetitive formal architecture of the

37 buildings.

Moving south from Marine Parade the streetscape becomes disjointed with the presence of open areas around Parade Road South, and substantial modern extensions to the rear of the Hotel Hatfield. The ordered townscape is restored, however, by Victoria Terrace, Pier Terrace situated between Marine Parade and Wellington Esplanade. This is a short, L- shaped terrace of paired three-storey townhouses of similar form to Marine Parade. Listed grade II, the terrace was constructed in 1869 as lodging houses, and contains a number of well-detailed features, in contrast to the simple decoration of the latter. Details include inlaid tiling between doors, a heavy modillion eaves cornice, and tripartite windows to the curved corner property. Marine Parade A combination of red and gault brick is used within the buildings to highly decorative effect. In contrast with the flanking terraces, Victoria Terrace does not enjoy views to the sea, being situated to the rear of properties fronting the Esplanade.

Wellington Esplanade was, and remains today, the centrepiece of Peto's South Lowestoft. Comprising 24 individual properties, the terrace is designed as a Victoria Terrace single architectural unit. Principally of three storeys with basement, the central block and end pavilions rise to four storeys, emphasising the formal grandeur of the terrace. Contrasting gault and red brick is also used decoratively across the elevation, with gault brick employed for the rusticated ground floor and dressings. Wellington Esplanade also contains many well-detailed features on its principal façade, including a strong dentil eaves cornice, dominant chimney stacks and Wellington Esplanade gault brick quoins. The repetition of bay windows along the terrace, seen similarly

2438 on Marine Parade and Kirkley Cliff these buildings contrasts with the Terrace, forms a striking architectural surrounding terraces, and acts to break characteristic, adding emphasis to the up the continuous terraced streetscape continuous, rhythmic streetscape. The along this main thoroughfare. To the open space of Wellington Gardens, to east, Kirkley Cliff Terrace and the the east of the terrace, enables extensive flanking properties overlook a series of views both towards the sea and back open spaces, constituting a car park, towards the principal façade of the small formal garden and putting green. terrace. It is these views, in combination Between the garden and putting green, with the architectural quality of the the idiosyncratic building of the building, which promote Wellington Thatched Cottage does not obstruct Esplanade as of the highest status. The views to and from Kirkley Cliff Terrace, large area from which the terrace can be whilst its vernacular style adds charm to viewed also elevates it to landmark status the area, in contrast to the grandeur of within the area. the surrounding Victorian architecture.

Continuing to the south, Kirkley Cliff The eastern edge of the Seafront Terrace is of similar scale and massing to Character Area is comprised by a mixture Wellington Esplanade. Although part of of open space and groups of large Peto's original design, the terrace was not detached and semi-detached properties constructed until 1870. As with situated along Victoria Terrace, Marine Wellington Esplanade, the central and Parade, and Kirkley Cliff Road. These end properties project to a fourth storey, buildings comprise a mixture of dates and structure the form of the building as and architectural styles, including the a single architectural unit. The effect is Arts and Crafts 'Hush-Hush' bar (much decreased, however, by the rise in ground altered from an original 19th century level, which breaks down the form of the villa), and the 1980s Elizabeth Court. skyline and adds emphasis to individual Many of the buildings have been subject properties rather than the architectural to a high level of alteration, leading to a whole. The terrace is well-detailed, with rather disjointed character to the area. shouldered dormer windows, dominant However, a limited sense of coherence is chimney stacks and two to three storey maintained through their scale and bay windows. Balconies survive at first- massing; all are large, tall properties set floor level on all properties, revealing the back from the Esplanade within importance of seaward views. The irregularly sized building plots. Some majority of properties also retain their individual buildings do retain much of original hung sash windows with margin their historic architectural character, such glazing. as Victoria House and Victoria Court. The high level of alteration across this Two semi-detached buildings are located area is due to their location on the to the north of Kirkley Cliff Terrace. seafront, and the greater commercial Both were built in 1864 as residential pressures exerted upon them. These properties, and formed part of Peto's pressures are particularly seen in the original design for the South Town. development of several shops selling They are set back from the road, and seaside paraphernalia and, although not both incorporate well-detailed original historic features in themselves, these features, including a turret. The form of nevertheless form an integral part of the

39 area's character.

The feature that unites the majority of buildings in this area, and which forms the basis to its character, is their prominent location along the seafront. Most buildings face eastwards to take advantage of their location, enabling good views to and from their principal The terrace on Kirkley Cliff elevations. These views are central to the character of the area and are enhanced by the maintenance of green spaces along the Esplanade.

Local Details and Building Materials Buildings within the Seafront Character Area are constructed predominantly in brick, with some contrasting rendered and painted properties. The grand terraces are generally of gault brick, sourced from Peto's Somerleyton Wellington Esplanade brickfields, whilst later speculative and Wellington Gardens buildings often use red brick, both as a principal material and for decorative contrast, as may be seen along Wellington Esplanade. Further decoration is apparent through the extensive use of decorative brickwork and glazed tiles. The tilework on the door surrounds to Victoria Terrace is particularly well executed and incorporates a stylised bird and floral design. 2 Kirkley Cliff In terms of building details, the Seafront Character Area uses a number of key design elements, lending a unity to the area as a whole. Large multi-stack chimneys are present across the terraces. These are particularly visible on Marine Parade, Wellington Esplanade, Victoria Terrace and Kirkley Cliff, where their repetition along the roofscape establishes a sense of rhythm across the whole facade. The use of turrets and Victoria House and pedimented gables on individual Victoria Court buildings adds further interest to this

40 roofscape, as may be seen at 1 Kirkley Local details Cliff Road and Victoria Court. The repetition of other features on the grand terraces, especially the two-storey bay windows, emphasises the scale of speculative building undertaken in this area. Many buildings incorporate balconies, as most aptly demonstrated by Kirkley Cliff, but also seen on Victoria House on Victoria Terrace and the more modern example of Elizabeth Court, Kirkley Cliff Road. This reflects architecturally the importance of sea views to the location of these buildings. The balconies mostly incorporate cast iron railings of a variety of decorative classical styles.

The area contains a wide range of wall and railing forms. The use of local materials and traditional construction can be seen in the flint pebble walls to the rear of properties on Marine Parade, Wellington Esplanade and the boundary to Kensington Gardens, as well as in the locally-characteristic chequered design to the utility building in Kensington Gardens. Simple, elegant, classically detailed railings front Wellington Esplanade and parts of Marine Parade; however, substantial portions of the boundaries to Marine Parade have been rebuilt in a variety of designs. Further original classically-styled ironwork survives on some of the Wellington Esplanade properties in the below-stair grilles. Victoria House on Victoria Terrace displays a distinctive nautically- influenced brick wall with circular openings, as well as fine Corinthian capitals to the door. Several individual properties in this area retain good original features such as polychrome tile paths, tiled porch reveals and stained glass.

The public realm of the Seafront

2741 Character Area has recently been improved as part of the Sunrise Scheme. High quality paving is now used throughout the character area, with modern galvanised street furniture and good lamp standards, providing a contemporary ambience to these areas and a good contrast to the surrounding Victorian features. Of particular note is Wellington Gardens the lighting on Claremont Road, which forms a series of simple archways that guide the eye down the road towards Claremont Pier and the seafront.

Green Space Green space, stretching across most of the eastern seafront, forms a highly significant element of the Seafront Character Area. Each green space has a distinct character and history, which makes an important contribution to its The Thatched Cottage appearance.

The Royal Green was first formed as part of Peto's Esplanade development and was laid out as a series of 20 Italianate paired holiday villas for the upper classes in 1849. Intended for upper class holidaymakers, each had its own individual garden facing the sea. Little further development occurred in the area until World War I, when the first two properties were damaged by a The boating pond, shell and subsequently demolished. The Kensington Gardens land was absorbed into the gardens of the neighbouring Royal Hotel. Demolition continued in the 1930s when the Council systematically bought up and demolished the villas in order to open out the seafront and create a public space. Various amenities were built in this area, including a putting green constructed in 1932, a children's boating lake in the 1950s and a miniature railway added in 1955. A swimming pool was The Tearoom, erected to replace the railway in the Kensington Gardens 1970s, and was later converted for use

42 by radio-controlled boats. The present the open nature of the seafront, and layout of the Royal Green as a lawn and helps to retain this area as part of the car park was established in the 1990s, and public realm. is therefore relatively modern. However, it is not the form of the Royal Green that Kensington Gardens, located to the is significant, but its maintenance as a south of the character area, was public open space, allowing long views developed in the 1920s by local out to sea and towards Marine Parade. businessmen Selwyn Humphrey and The Green creates a sense of Arthur Tuttle as part of a scheme to spaciousness to the area, which enhances provide work for the town's unemployed the grandeur of the surrounding (Robb 2005, 86). The park today enjoys architecture. a distinctive character within South Lowestoft, being the only formally laid Wellington Gardens, in front of out public park within the seafront area. Wellington Esplanade, was formally laid Bowling greens, tennis courts and a out as a garden with floral displays and boating pond are present within the park, lawn areas in the 1850s as part of Peto's providing amenities for visitors and original scheme for Lowestoft. The residents alike, whilst the surrounding original layout is evident on early maps, area includes areas of mature and which show a network of formal paths, seasonal planting with meandering walks formed primarily of three circular and ponds. The Esplanade ends at features contained within a rectangular Kensington Gardens, the latter providing path. Photos from the 1920s show that an agreeable terminus to the seafront. the Gardens also incorporated two small ponds by this date (Robb 2005, 58-59). Together, these areas form large public During World War II, the Gardens were domains, joined by the Esplanade and destroyed through the construction of air stretching across the majority of the raid shelters and trenches. It was seafront. They provide a sense of restored in the 1990s as a 'sunken openness along the seafront and allow garden' (Clements 1999, 37). A small long panoramic vistas out to sea. 'sensory garden' is situated to the south of Wellington Gardens. Both areas Intrusive and Damaging Factors provide quiet, open spaces, to a degree The Seafront Character Area forms a isolated from the hustle and bustle of the cohesive streetscape, and merits its surrounding seafront, yet still with designation within a conservation area. extensive views to the sea and the However, a number of intrusive and surrounding townscape. Adjacent to negative features detract from the special this, situated at the corner of Kirkley interest of the area. Incremental Cliff and Cliff Road is the Putting Green, alteration and extension of individual believed to date back over 200 years and properties has had a cumulative adverse reputed to be one of the oldest in the impact on the conservation area as a country. The Thatched Cottage Cafe is whole. This is particularly apparent in located within this area, as well as a small the buildings fronting on to the circular thatched structure in its northeast Esplanade, for example in the ice cream corner, contrasting pleasantly with the parlours added to 17 and 18 The scale and formality of the surrounding Esplanade. In this case, it is the use of architecture. This green space maintains

43 bright colours and long, low structures of a different scale and massing to the surrounding buildings that proves particularly unsympathetic to the character of the area.

Incremental alteration to the formal terraces of Peto's development is particularly detrimental to the character 18 The Esplanade and appearance of the seafront. The painting of individual properties and the replacement of windows and doors with modern alternatives serves to interrupt the regular façade and rhythm of these frontages. The architectural unity of Marine Parade and Victoria Terrace has been particularly badly affected in this way.

Original walls and railings have been replaced across much of the area, which Poorley designed modern disrupts its cohesiveness. Of the structures on the Esplanade original railings that do survive, some are in a very poor state of disrepair, for example those to number 2 Victoria Terrace, despite recent schemes by English Heritage and Waveney District Council to reinstate them. The current condition of these railings detracts from the quality and grandeur of the streetscape.

A number of buildings within the 38-39 Marine Parade Seafront Character Area are held in multiple occupancy. This is a particular issue for the large townhouses of Victoria Terrace and Marine Parade and frequently results in poor maintenance of the building and associated forecourts, contributing to a decline in the character of the adjacent streetscape. A number of buildings within Kensington Gardens are also derelict and poorly maintained, and form negative features within the area. Railings on Victoria Terrace The high traffic levels on the main

44 north-south thoroughfare through the area (Kirkley Cliff Road, Kirkley Cliff, Wellington Esplanade, Victoria Terrace and Marine Parade), also detracts from its character. The dominance of this traffic acts to sever Peto's terraces from the seafront; degrading views both to and from them.

Esplanade from the seafront

RNLI monument

Looking out to sea

292745 London Road South Character Area

46 Character Area 3: London Road South structures. There are no listed buildings within this area; however, several The London Road South Character Area buildings have been identified as being covers the stretch of London Road South of local historic and architectural approximately between Parade Road significance (see Appendix 1). The North and Lorne Park Road. London speculative development of this area has Road North originally formed part of a resulted in varied streetscapes of trackway to Pakefield, turnpiked as part individually designed buildings of diverse of the route to London in 1785. Small- design and detail, whilst the mixture of scale development along the line of the purpose-built commercial and domestic road had occurred by the early 19th buildings has resulted in considerable century in the area of Economy and variety of form and scale. Buildings Clifton Roads. With Peto’s development within the character area range between of Lowestoft as a pleasure resort, one and four storeys in height, although London Road South found itself at the principally of two and three storeys. heart of the new development and came to be the focus for commercial activity Buildings on London Road South with the construction of residential and frequently contain shop fronts at ground- commercial buildings occurring along floor level of variable quality and design. much of its length. During the later 19th The upper storeys, however, retain much and 20th centuries, London Road South of their architectural and historic continued to develop as the commercial character. Common features include the centre of South Lowestoft, with many use of regularly planned elevations, often houses being converted for commercial symmetrically arranged in pairs, sash use. windows with flat or segmental lintels, canted bay windows and simple cornices. The urban morphology of this character In architectural detail there is area reflects its historic development. considerable variety. Buildings of the The turnpike road is apparent in the long mid-19th century tend towards more straight form of London Road South, formal classical details, such as the swags whilst the gradual development of the and decorative cornicing of buildings adjacent land is reflected in the seen at 125 London Road South. In preservation of field boundaries in streets contrast, later buildings exhibit more such as Lawson Road (to the west of the variety, as may be seen the gothic conservation area), Clifton Road and doorway and green man motif employed Economy Road. Continuous on the Royal Oak. More modest streetscapes dominate the character area, architectural details include the reflecting the demand for frontages onto contrasting use of red brick, shaped the principal shopping thoroughfare. aprons and gables and ornamental window architraves. Despite this variety, Architectural and Historic Qualities of unity within the townscape is achieved Buildings through the predominant use of gault The London Road South Character Area brick, similar storey heights and the use is characterised by buildings dating of regular proportions across principal principally from the second half of the elevations. Within London Road are a 19th century, interspersed with a limited number of two-storey terraced cottages number of early 19th and 20th century of modest design, being formed by

47 simple two-storey, two-bay structures, with sash windows and pantile roofs. Many are now extended to incorporate a shop front at ground-floor level.

Two- and three-storey terraced housing survives on Windsor Road, Grosvenor Road and Cleveland Street retaining a distinctively domestic character. These 167, 169 & 171 London Road South are varied terraces which are of well detailed construction. Common features include canted and rectangular bay windows, dormer windows with decorative timber frame decoration, decorative coade stone lintels and some good stained glass.

Character Analysis Moving into London Road South from Royal Plain and Pier Terrace, the conservation area is dominated by the London Road looking long, straight London Road South, rising north to the rear of Marine Parade towards Kirkley to the south. Views to north terminate at the tall, formal elevations of Pier Terrace.

The north end of the character area forms a rather disjointed and confused streetscape. The east side of the road is bounded by the long rear gardens of Marine Parade, overlooked by the rear elevation of the Parade. The intermittent presence of rear walls to these gardens, 79-81 London Road occasional presence of small retail units South within gardens and the presence of hardstanding for car parking serves to create a disjointed frontage to the character area. Within the character area itself, a similarly incoherent townscape is present. Formerly lined by a continuous terrace of Victorian town houses, this part of London Road South has been subject to piecemeal demolition and redevelopment, resulting in a disjointed appearance. The remaining townhouses Lion statue in the garden at numbers 49-59, and 79-89 (odd of 41a St John Street numbers only) are of good architectural

48 quality, although many have been subject To the south of Cleveland Road, the west to high levels of unsympathetic side of London Road North is lined by a alteration. The front gardens of these series of mid-19th century townhouses, houses are undeveloped, setting the representing the early development of buildings back from the street. Modern this area. Of varied design, these three- structures within this area are generally of storey buildings begin the establishment poor architectural quality and without of a more coherent and continuous reference to the surrounding urban form, streetscape to London Road South and as demonstrated by the garage at the provide visual interest through the use of corner of Mill Road, a large single-storey, restrained decoration, such as dentil flat-roofed structure of corrugated metal, cornices and festoons. Interspersed brick and glass. Gap sites, such as that amongst these are a number of late between numbers 55 and 61 serve to Victorian townhouses, their later create an air of neglect and break up the construction being apparent by their rhythm of the streetscape. The decreased scale and more idiosyncratic Hollywood Cinema to the north of decoration, such as the applied timber- London Road South, constructed in the frame decoration of the dormers of early 20th century, continues the numbers 111 and 113 London. Small disjointed character with its single-storey front gardens remain to several and brightly coloured frontage to the townhouses in this area setting them substantial cinema hall. back from the pavement and creating a pleasant sense of space and scale; The western boundary of this area, however, the beneficial impact of these towards St John’s Road, is similarly gardens is frequently decreased by the disjointed, containing a series of paved presence of multiple wheelie bins and yards and individual light industrial hard standing. buildings, some of which retain historic fabric. Of interest within this streetscape In contrast to the regular and continuous is the survival of a substantial carved facades opposite, the west side of sandstone lion within the garden of London Road South presents an number 41a St John’s Street. Now much incoherent streetscape, characterised by eroded, this statue was formerly one of the presence of single-storey late 20th two lions, included as part of Peto’s century buildings of no architectural original scheme for Marine Parade. merit. Of particular detriment is the premises of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Mill Road runs westwards out of the located immediately to the south of conservation area, rising to cross one of Marine Parade, a building of generic style the railway bridges of the Kirkley Branch inappropriate to its historic setting, with Line. Views along Mill Road terminate dominant signage and flanking car park with the bridge, shielding views towards that interrupt the surrounding the recently constructed developments in townscape. Kirkley Ham. Number 1 Mill Road and 109a London Road South form a A more domestic character is established significant element within the streetscape by the streets of Cleveland Road, in this area, incorporating a well-detailed Grosvenor Road and Windsor Road, shop of late 19th century date. which extend to the west of London

49 Road South. These are pleasant streets, laid out parallel with one another and terminating at the former Kirkley Branch Line, now a tree-lined footpath. These streets are flanked by terraced houses of principally later 19th century date, of varied design and detail. The speculative nature of development of these streets is reflected in the individual design of short 117-119 London Road South runs of housing. Unity is achieved through the dominant use of gault brick, continuous building heights and proportions. Visual interest in these streetscapes is established by the use of decorative features such as tiled paths, diaper brickwork, and stained glass.

Returning to London Road South, the street becomes more enclosed, with the presence of continuous building frontages of two or three storeys, to the Grosvenor Road south of Windsor Road. Ground-floor shop frontages dominate throughout this area, with well-detailed elevations surviving above. Many of the shops retain good historic frontages, as may be seen at number 133. The individual treatment of many buildings in this area creates a varied streetscape of considerable visual interest across the upper storeys, aided by changes in building height, massing and proximity to the street frontage. The treatment of Shop frontage to 133 several key buildings gives particular London Road South focus to the streetscape, such as the understated elevation of Kirkley Hall, the green man imagery of the Royal Oak, the contrasting use of red brick and coade stone across numbers 181-183, or the ornately moulded gable and parapets of number 229. Flanking buildings, although less immediately eye-catching, are generally of some architectural quality, through the use of regular proportions and decorative features such 212 London Road South, as moulded brickwork and tiles, Kirkley Hall contrasting building materials, and

2450 decorative window surrounds. Present be easily viewed, whilst at street level the amongst this varied townscape are four constantly changing array of shop fronts terraced townhouses of very simple ensures visual interest. Restrained, design at numbers 173-179 London Road modern lamp standards and good quality South. Now much altered and with hard landscaping serve to make this a single-storey shop fronts extending to the pleasant streetscape of considerable street frontage, these buildings were importance to the townscape of South constructed in the first half of the 19th Lowestoft. century prior to Peto’s redevelopment of South Lowestoft and they represent a The streetscape of London Road South is rare survival from this period. punctuated by the presence of short perpendicular streets to the east and Towards the south of the character area, west. The streets of Freemantle Road a smaller scale of building becomes and Economy Road terminate in apparent, although still interspersed with unsatisfactory views towards former large buildings. To the south of the industrial sites, whilst Clifton Road leads junction with Waterloo Road, the eastern out of the conservation area and reveals side of London Road South is lined by views of modest terraced worker’s compact two-storey terraced cottages, housing, a pleasing contrast to the busy now with shop fronts inserted at ground- streetscape of London Road South. floor level or projecting out to meet the Narrow lanes extend to the west between pavement. Similar buildings are also numbers 217 and 221, and 249 and 259. present on the west side of the road from The former of these lanes gives access Clifton Road to the south. These into Union Place (see Appendix 2). buildings reflect the early development of These three tightly packed streets of this area and provide agreeable variety terraced housing are accessible only by within the streetscape. Number 247 is foot and are in contrast with the urban significant as a rare survival of a cottage thoroughfare of London Road South. in its original form. Another significant Also of note within the back lanes of survival from the early development of London Road South is the survival of a London Road South is the Plough and small number of compact service Sail Pub, which was recorded in buildings, such as number 221a. Of flint documents relating to Peto’s purchase of and brick construction, this structure the common land. Also of note is the preserves an original flint boundary wall Drifter Public House located at the in its lower stages and represents a rare junction of Claremont Road, a modest survival of a backland building which two-storey red brick structure which would once have been common within retains a historic shop frontage and well London Road South. detailed principal elevation. To the east, the streets of Waterloo The presence of wide pavements to Road, and Parade Road South lead to either side of London Road South has formal terraces adjacent to the beach. established this as a pedestrian These are broad streets which afford dominated streetscape, despite high levels good views and encourage pedestrian of traffic. This enables clear views across movement between the two character buildings lining the street and enables the areas. Claremont Street is principal well-detailed and varied upper storeys to amongst these, giving views directly

51 towards the buildings of Claremont Pier, framed by arched streetlights spanning the road.

Local Details and Building Materials Buildings within the London Road South Character Area are constructed predominantly in gault brick, with some use of red brick, both as a principal 229 London Road South building material and for decorative contrast. There is also some limited use of colourwash, render and roughcast. Dressings are commonly executed in coade stone, whilst other decorative work frequently employs materials such as moulded tiles and decorative timber framing. Sash windows survive throughout much of the area, whilst original panelled doors are retained by a number of buildings.

Cottage-style buildings on A feature throughout much of this London Road South character area is the construction of single-storey shop premises extending to the front of existing buildings, resulting in a two tier appearance to the street, as may be seen in numbers 209-217 London Road South (odd numbers).

Decorative architectural details within this character area are highly varied and frequently idiosyncratic, in keeping with the individual character of many 173-177 London Road buildings. Simple and understated South details are employed by the majority of structures, using features such as decorative keystones, the projection and recession of bays, and chamfered decoration of window lintels. Within the larger buildings a wider vocabulary of details is seen, such as the ornate foliate carving over the door to number 154 London Road South, the decorative gable of number 229, or the barley twist mullions of numbers 219-221. Original 221A London Road stained glass is retained by some South buildings and ranges from simple

52 geometric designs as in 184 London Local details Road South to the nautical imagery of number 255 London Road South.

Historic shop fronts are retained in a number of buildings, making a positive contribution to the streetscape, as may be seen at numbers 87 and 103 London Road South. Other buildings retain only the pilasters and console brackets flanking a modern shop front. Historic painted shop signs are retained by a few buildings, such as 219-221 London Road South, giving further visual interest to the upper storeys.

The domestic buildings to the west and north of the character area retain a pleasing range of original features and architectural detailing, varying between terraces of independent construction. A common feature is the pairing of recessed doors within the terrace. However treatment of these is much more varied, ranging from square coade stone hood moulds, through decorative moulded timber porches to simple brick openings with segmental heads. Other features of interest are tiled paths, sash windows with margin glazing, 20th century metal gates of simple geometric design and a small number of brick boundary walls with decorative punched motif.

Intrusive and Damaging Factors The London Road South Character Area is of considerable importance for its contribution to the conservation area as a whole; however there are a number of features which detract from its special interest.

London Road South is a major route into Lowestoft, continuing north towards the harbour. High traffic levels dominate the road, with vehicles regularly queuing

2753 along the length of the street. The level of traffic has resulted in noise and visual intrusion and detracts from the pleasant pedestrian environment established by the good quality public realm.

In terms of the built environment, a variety of incremental changes have degraded the architectural quality of a 17-19 Windsor Road number of buildings and affected the unity of the townscape as a whole. This is most clearly seen in the painting of individual building elevations within brick-built terraces, serving to break up the regularity of the elevation and detract from the design of the street as a whole, as may be seen for instance in Windsor Road. Also of detriment to the character area is the refenestration of individual buildings. This has often taken the form of replacing sash 49-51 London Road windows with casement windows of South inappropriate form, damaging the rhythm of the elevation and even entire terraces.

Poorly designed and inappropriate shop frontages are damaging to the conservation area through the use of large plate glass windows and poorly scaled and sited signs, as at numbers 63 & 65 London Road South. Freestanding signs, such as those of Kentucky Fried Streetscape impacts of Chicken and Gage Estate Agents, also multiple occupancy sit uncomfortably with their townscape context. Poor quality reinstatement of building frontages following removal of a shop facade are also damaging to the character and appearance of the area, as may be seen at number 51 London Road South where the materials, scale and form of the structure is out of keeping with the character of the building as a whole. Conversely, if undertaken sensitively with an understanding of the Kentucky Fried Chicken form and appearance of the original structure this can be achieved

54 successfully, as demonstrated by number 127 London Road South.

Poor maintenance of individual structures is currently degrading the appearance of the conservation area, particularly to the north of the character area. Many such buildings are in multiple occupancy, and their forecourts are dominated by multiple wheelie bins and hardstanding.

The character area contains a number of buildings which are damaging to the character and appearance of the conservation area due to their scale, massing and form. These are largely buildings of 20th century date which show no reference to the surrounding townscape. These have been identified as:

• 63-65 London Road South • 67 London Road South • Kentucky Fried Chicken • 130-144 London Road South (even numbers) • 203 London Road South • 259 London Road South

55 St Peter’s Church Character Area

56 Character Area 4: St Peter's Church

This character area covers the southern portion of the Lowestoft South Conservation Area, incorporating the area surrounding the grade I listed Church of St Peter and St John, and the southern portion of Lowestoft Road South. Although close to the historic hamlet of Kirkley and including the medieval parish church, this area was slow to develop its modern character, remaining predominantly as open land until the end of the 19th century when domestic development spread from Lowestoft and Kirkley to the south. The majority of the area was developed in the early 20th century, with terraced housing constructed along London Road South and surrounding St Peter's Church by 1905. Relatively dense development extended over the whole character area by the 1930s. The area was, and remains, predominantly residential in character.

The origins of the area are clearly reflected in its present urban morphology. St Peter's Church is set on high land within an historic sub-circular graveyard, and forms a prominent focal point in the area. The historic roads of London Road South, Kirkley Park Road and Kirkley Cliff Road form the main thoroughfares and are lined with mostly large detached or semi-detached properties set within private gardens. The areas between these roads have been in-filled with regularly-spaced, narrower roads, containing more modest terraced housing, reflecting the increasing pressures of development during the expansion of Lowestoft and the shifting social status of the area.

57 Architectural of residential buildings, which tend to be and Historic set back from the road, with narrow Qualities of gardens extending to the rear. It is this Buildings residential nature that defines the The buildings character of the area. in the St Peter's Church Variety in architectural treatment occurs Character between the higher and lower status Area were properties. The larger high status Terraced housing on constructed in London Road South properties tend to be of three storeys the late 19th and early and contain well-detailed features such 20th century, as doorcases, decorative bargeboards and mostly and moulded floral brickwork. In range from contrast, the more modest terraced late Victorian housing is generally of two storeys, with to Arts and less architectural detailing. These Crafts in style. properties do, however, still display The some well-detailed features, including combination decorative lintels, floral brickwork and of private and hung sash windows with margin glazing. speculative Villas on Kirkley Cliff development The area contains several statutory listed Road i s reflected in buildings and buildings that contribute the mixture of repetitive, uniformly to the local character. These are detailed designed in full in Appendix 1. houses, for example those Character Analysis on the smaller The eastern section of the St Peter's roads of St Church Character Area is formed by the Peters Road north-south aligned Kirkley Cliff Road, and St Aubyns Road, and the larger 47-48 Kirkley Cliff Road individually designed houses such as those properties on Kirkley Cliff Road and Kirkley Park Road. However, a sense of cohesion is maintained in St Nicholas’s Roman the area by the Catholic Church predominance

58 continuing southwards from the formal mid-19th century terraces of the Seafront Character Area. Kirkley Cliff Road is lined by large detached and semi- detached properties, set within large, irregularly sized gardens, many of which were sold for development in 1900 having previously formed part of the Kirkley Cliff Estate (LRO 1117/276/70). The streetscape is characterised by its architectural diversity, comprising a mixture of one-off, architect designed properties, such as the Arts and Crafts number 32 Kirkley Cliff Road, and the late Victorian number 40 Kirkley Cliff Road, and a number of speculative semi- detached properties of similar yet individual design, as revealed by comparison of numbers 47-48; 49-50 and 53-54 Kirkley Cliff Road. These buildings are set back from the street front, but present prominent elevations to the road, enabling clear views both to and from the buildings. The elongated linear form of the road allows distant views northwards to Peto's South Lowestoft development and the old town beyond.

To the south, Kirkley Cliff Road forms a junction with Pakefield Road and Kensington Road. The size and status of housing on these roads decreases from that of Kirkley Cliff Road itself. Although similarly of three-storeys, these are mainly terraced townhouses with less architectural detailing. Formerly an area of large villa estates, most of these houses have now disappeared; however, the Coach House, Kensington Road, and the former gate lodge of Cliffe Lodge, Pakefield Road, provide clues to the former grandeur of the area. The former Grand Hotel survives within the CEFAS complex to the east of the conservation area, and is of local historic importance as a rare survival of a Victorian hotel in

59 Lowestoft. and remains one of the main The Arts and thoroughfares in the area carrying large Crafts amounts of traffic as the principle road building of St route from the south into Lowestoft. Nicolas This streetscape is dominated by a mix Roman of terraced houses along its east and Catholic west sides. Generally of two or three Church (grade storeys, often with attic, and set within II listed) small private gardens, these buildings 240-242 London Road forms a South d i s t i n c t i v e establish a repetitive architectural f o c u s on Pakefield rhythm, articulated by repeated gables Road, with its and canted bay windows. To the north, tower a series of identical paired houses are punctuating situated on the east side of the road views towards (232-262, even numbers). These the sea. buildings represent the suburban Internally, the expansion of South Lowestoft in the building second half of the 19th century, their retains many origins are reflected in their restrained excellent use of classical detailing. To the west of features, the street are a varied series of terraced The Church of St Peter including a townhouses. Of particular contribution and St John painted reredos by the to the quality of the streetscape are Arts & Crafts numbers 283-289 (odd numbers) for artist, Robert their contrasting use of red and gault Anning Bell, brick, tile decoration and well- wrought iron proportioned façade. Contrasting with chancel the surrounding two and three-storey screens and a properties, the five-storey building of St baptistry at Albyns Court forms a prominent local the landmark, rising above the surrounding southeastern buildings and using contrasting materials extremity. of glossy red brick and decorative timber Kirkley Park Road frame decoration across the top floor. Running Several buildings to the north of the parallel to character area on London Road South Kirkley Cliff have been converted for use as shops Road to the with the insertion of a shopfront west, London extending out to the front of the Road South property. These additions are executed forms part of with varying degrees of historical the former sympathy and begin to establish the turnpike road more commercial character which is between dominant towards the north of London London and Road South. The recent improvement 30-32 Kirkley Park Road Great of the public realm along London Road Yarmouth, South has established a fresh, modern

60 feel to the area, contrasting effectively Local details with the surrounding historic buildings. To the south, views extend along the road towards Pakefield. Stradbroke Road Water Tower can also be glimpsed to the southwest, the tower forming a prominent local landmark.

To the west of the character area, the area surrounding the Church of St Peter and St John enjoys a more suburban character. At its core stands the Church, a medieval structure, restored and rebuilt in the mid 18th and late 19th centuries. Located within a small sub-circular churchyard of historic origin, the church is a secluded and peaceful green space, with long views out between the surrounding buildings. Rectory Road, running east from the church, was laid out in the 1890s, and now provides striking views of the Church from its junctions with London Road South and Kirkley Cliff Road, whilst allowing views east towards the sea. St Aubyn's Road, Rectory Road and St Peters Road to the north of the church establish a highly domestic character, being lined by modest two-storey terraced housing typical of the late 19th century. These are

572761 short streetscapes lined by continuous building frontages, set back from the road, with small front and rear gardens and terminating in views towards further terraced housing to the north. These streets have a pleasing scale of building and form. Contributing to this domestic character is Kirkley Church Hall, a charming and compact late 19th century 232-234 London Road South hall of flint and brick construction, situated on the corner of St Peters Road and Carlton Road.

In contrast with these modest streetscapes, the southern part of St Peters Road and Kirkley Park Road enjoy a more exclusive character with individually designed houses set within large gardens on broad tree-lined streets. Kirkley Park Road forms the western edge of the conservation area and is a 305 London Road South broad, tree-lined street, curving between Carlton Road and London Road South and largely enclosing views within the streetscape. Flanked by a varied selection of substantial detached and semi-detached houses dating from the late 19th to late 20th century, the presence of large gardens creates a spacious character, complemented by the pleasing variety of architectural styles, scale and form of buildings. To the west, the buildings are larger in scale, and include 252 London Road South both post-war semi-detached houses of generic but good design, and architect- designed houses of Victorian and Edwardian date. Principal amongst these are the grade II listed buildings at numbers 5 and 7, both by R. S. Cockrill and beautifully executed in the Arts and Crafts style, and reputed to contain fireplaces by Arthur MacMurdo (pers comm. D Butcher). Set back substantially from the road, mature planting is present to the front of many buildings, CEFAS suggesting a desire for privacy and seclusion in marked contrast with the

62 highly visible architecture of Kirkley Cliff Road. To the east, a lesser scale of building is apparent with the presence of large and well-detailed Victorian terraces and paired houses, interspersed with more recent buildings. Gaps between these structures allow glimpsed views towards the tower of St Peter’s Church, establishing a firm sense of place within the townscape.

Local Details and Building Materials Properties in the St Peter's Church Character Area are predominantly brick- built, including both red and gault brick. A combination of both brick types has been used decoratively on numerous houses, such as those along St Peters Road and Pakefield Road. The use of flint as a building material is a regional characteristic, and its use in St Peter's Church and the Church Hall reflects something of local vernacular tradition and provides some local distinctiveness.

Decorative elements such as moulded floral bricks and glazed tiles are found throughout much of the conservation area. Examples in this character area include numbers 283 to 285 London Road South, numbers 49 to 50 Kirkley Cliff Road and numbers 36 to 38 Kirkley Park Road. Polychrome tiled paths survive to some properties, including 10 Pakefield Road, whilst the original stained glass survives in others, such as numbers 25 to 27 St Peters Road.

A great variety of railings and walls are evident in the character area, and are predominantly later replacements of the original walls. However some original low gault brick walls with recessed panels do survive in the area, for example to numbers 46 to 52 Kirkley Park Road and numbers 286 to 304 London Road South. Distinctive brick walls

63 Community Consultation

1 Kirkley Cliff, Ashurst

2 Kirkley Cliff, South Lodge

Kirkley Cliff

4 Kirkley Cliff

64 Map of Significant Buildings within South Lowestoft

a1/1 20-21 Kirkely Cliff Road, Windsor House

5 Kirkley Park Road

7 Kirkley Park Road

51 London Road North, Post Office a1/224 Appendix 1: Building Descriptions sash to each floor. The attic storey Listed Buildings within the sashes are all of 1990. Modillion eaves Conservation Area cornice below hipped roof. One wall stack north and south, with gault brick 1 Kirkley Cliff, Ashurst dressings. The south porch is entered Listed Grade II through a 1990 double glazed door under Built in 1864 by W.O. Chambers as a pair a rounded arch. Paired rounded lancets of houses, now flats. Rendered and to each floor above. The north porch is whitewashed brick under a hipped slate externally of 4 stages: 6-panel fielded roof, and built in three storeys and four doorway within a round-headed archway bays. Square in plan. It has rusticated with keyblock. Paired round-headed quoins to the corners and at the division lancets to each floor above, blind to between the two properties. The east upper two stages on the east side. elevation is symmetrical, comprising a Modillion eaves cornice below a swept pair of central 2-storey canted bays now pyramidical roof, terminating in iron with 20th century fenestration. 2/2 sashes cresting. to the right and left to each storey. Four 2/2 sashes to the attic, all with segmental The north porch leads to a staircase hall. heads. The north return is recessed left Stick baluster staircase with a ramped of the centre to accommodate a 4-storey and wreathed handrail. Census return of square tower under a concave pyramid 1881 gives Ellen and Margaret Ringer as roof, and containing round-arched mistresses of a school with 25 boarding sashes. Round-arched entrance to the pupils. It later became part of South west of the tower in a single-storey porch Lodge School. Part of the extensive plan extension. Part of the extensive plan for for housing originally devised in 1846 by housing originally devised in 1846 by J.L. J.L. Clemence for Sir Samuel Morton Clemence for Sir Samuel Morton Peto Peto for the development of Lowestoft for the development of Lowestoft as a as a fashionable holiday resort, made fashionable holiday resort, made possible possible by the building of the railway by by the building of the railway by Peto in Peto in the 1840s. the 1840s. 1-19 (consecutive) Kirkley Cliff Road, 2 Kirkley Cliff, South Lodge Kirkley Cliff Terrace Listed Grade II Listed Grade II Pair of houses built in 1864 by W.O. Gault brick terrace of houses, built in Chambers, converted to flats in 1990. 1870. Some slate remains to the roofs, Red brick with gault brick dressings and a but now mostly concrete corrugated tiles. slate roof. Square main block with Of three storeys with a dormer attic and external full-height porches to the north basement, and rising to 4 storeys with and south returns, the former rising dormer attic in the 4-bay end pavilions above the eaves and elaborated into a and 7-bay centre block. These latter tower. The property is of three storeys pavilions have hipped roofs. Rusticated and three bays with rusticated brick ground floor. Each house has a two- quoins. Each storey is divided by storey canted bay and fenestration of 3/3 moulded brick string courses. Two- sashes. Half-glazed door to each. storey canted bays fitted with cross Gabled roofs with one segmental-headed casements. Between them is one 2/2 dormer to each house, with additional a1/3 late 20th full-height canted bay under a gabled century dormer with, to the right (north), a dormers to transomed mullioned window. The bay some houses. windows are also transomed and Wide ridge mullioned. Number 20 has a polygonal stacks to each corner turret rising to a truncated house. Part of pyramid roof of scalloped machine tiles. the extensive Notable as the birthplace and childhood plan for home of composer Benjamin Britten housing 52 London Road North o r i g i n a l l y (1913-1975). devised in 1846 by J.L. Clemence for 5 Kirkley Park Road Sir Samuel Listed Grade II Morton Peto House, constructed in 1911 by Ralph for the Scott Cockrill, and of rendered and development pebbledashed brick under plain tile of Lowestoft roofs. Of one storey and attics. as a Asymmetrical east elevation comprising fashionable two full-height projecting gabled blocks, holiday resort, the northern one containing the made possible entrance door. Mullioned leaded by the Port House, North Quay building of the casements. Between these ranges are a railway by Peto in the pair of 2-light transomed casements 1840s. under the deep gabled roof, which has a stack emerging through the east slope. 20 and 21 Either side of the gabled ranges are wide Kirkley Cliff overlapping gables lit through leaded Road, casements. Twin external stacks north Windsor and south clasp flat-topped dormers. House The rear elevation is a study in repeated Listed Grade gablets at II Pair of red- The Roman Catholic brick houses built Church of St Nicholas c.1900. Concrete corrugated tiles to roof. Of two storeys with a dormer attic. Banded quoins divide the two properties, Royal Norfolk and each of which Suffolk Yacht Club consists of a a1/4 first-floor level above a terrace with continuous mullioned casements. One of two houses – the other being no. 7 – competently executed in Arts and Crafts style by a noteworthy local architect, clearly showing in this instance the influence of contemporary developments in Letchworth and Hampstead Garden Suburb.

7 Kirkley Park Road Listed Grade II House, constructed in 1909 by Ralph Scott Cockrill, and of pebbledashed and whitewashed brick under a plain tile roof. Of two storeys, with an asymmetrical east façade. Central gabled wing projects with the entrance door under a five-light mullioned window with leaded glazing. To the left (south) is a full-height tile- hung bay with wrap-around mullioned windows, and left again is a canted ground-floor bay window below an elongated tile-hung hood. Perched on the apex of the hood is a 3-light mullioned window. At the south corner of the main elevation is a flying cornice. Quadruple diamond-flued external stack to the south return.

51 London Road North, Post Office Listed Grade II Late 19th century brick post office with stone dressings. Of three storeys and five bays, it has a slate roof. Doorway to ground floor, set to left, with a range of top-hung casements to right. Cornice located below first floor, with 5 first- floor sashes above, set within moulded architraves and under pediments. Second-floor sashes have aprons and eared architraves. Wide modillion eaves cornice and panelled parapet.

a1/5 53 London its value as part of a group. Road North, National Port House, North Quay Westminster Listed Grade II Bank Offices, constructed in 1831 as the Listed Grade Customs House. Built in gault brick, II with slate roofs, it is of two storeys. It Brick-built comprises a long range facing south, bank with with a central transept. The transept has Church of St Peter and St stone John, St Peter’s Road dressings, a hipped roof and is lit through one 6/6 constructed sash to each floor to the south and c.1860, with a similar fenestration on both the east and projecting west returns. To the right of the eaves cornice transept are five 6/6 sashes at ground- and hipped floor level, two are 20th century roof. replacements set within blocked Frontage onto doorways. The first floor contains three London Road similar sashes, with a further three to the North is of left of the transept, some of which have three storeys been replaced. All sashes have gauged and three skewback arches. Central doorway b a y s . Victoria Terrace The ground flanked to either side by one 6/6 sash on floor is rusticated with ground floor, to left of transept. a doorway set Shallow hipped roof with five stacks, all to the right, set to the left. The east return forms the flanked by 2 entrance, and is of 4 bays. It contains a windows late 20th century gabled porch in the under round- second bay (from left), with a pediment. headed arches. One 6/6 is situated to the left of this, Late 20th with two to the right. 4 identical sashes century fascia are located on the first floor. The board located interior retains an open well staircase at at the division Wellington Esplanade between the ground and first floors. Three sashes located on the first floor under moulded hoods. The sashes at second-floor level have aprons. This Kirkley Church Hall, St has been listed Peter’s Road primarily for a1/6 the west end with two turned balusters to each tread, a moulded handrail and heavy turned newels with ball finials. The interior is otherwise modernised for office use.

The Roman Catholic Church of St Nicholas, Pakefield Road Listed Grade II Church, constructed in 1900-1903, with extension dating to 1949. By G. Baines. Red brick with stone dressings and a slate roof with terracotta flashings. Arts and Crafts in style, it comprises a nave, chancel and small ritual south-west tower. Windows in perpendicular style with hoodmoulds. West end has 7-light window with jambs rising above gable as small pinnacles. Miniature octagonal tower to left has ogee roof with finial. 3- stage tower to right has diagonal buttresses, single-light windows, bell chamber openings, ornamental parapet and inset spirelet. Nave sides are both similar with the addition of elaborate porch to north. 3- and 4-light windows, the latter in paired transept-like gables. Roof has octagonal lantern and fleche. Extensions to east. Interior contains arcades formed by tapering posts. False hammerbeam roof and boarded ceiling. Naturalistic foliage corbels to transept arch.

Royal Plain, Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club Listed Grade II* Purpose-built yacht club, built 1902-3 by G & F Skipper of Norwich. It is of a very advanced design for its date, with an L-shaped plan, and an engaged tower in the inner angle opposing a square observation room at the top of the outer angle. It is of rendered and whitewashed brick with plaintile roofs and is 2-3 storeys.

a1/7 The south front is composed of a three storey, three bay square block with the observation room at the top. In the centre is a low entrance porch with a panelled and glazed door, flanked by a three-light semi-circular window with glazing bars either side. The windows above are casements of varying design. At the first floor is a moulded brick 32 Kirkley Cliff Road panel with a sailing ship moulded in high relief brick. The observation room is glazed all round under a copper dome. To the right is a two storey wing under a half-hipped roof with a further semi- circular-headed casement to the ground floor. Three windows to the first floor include two round-headed casements with balconies, and, to the left, a canted bay window. The east elevation is lit through a large segmental sash with 18/18 glazing bars, and the upper storey Victoria Chalets, through 3 circular windows with Jubilee Parade casements. The hip of the roof is pierced by a triangular sash with glazing bars. The north side has, between the arms of the L, a curved and glazed single-storey bow. Behind it rises the three-storey engaged round tower illuminated through casements to the first floor and a band of lights with brick dressings at the second floor. The hipped northern arm of the L has casements with glazing bars. Jubilee Parade Chalets, Jubilee Parade The entrance leads into a square central hall, which is partly top lit from an open ceiling well into the first floor. A concave wall separates the hall from the bar to the north-east, which is entered through bowed double-doors with glazing. The restaurant in the north- west corner has double muntin doors with leaded and glazed upper panels and a segmental overlight. The closed-string staircase has tall square newels tapering above the handrail and terminating in

The Gourock Rope saucer finials, in a style being developed works, Battery Green a1/8 Road by Voysey. Reeded balusters. The first quatrefoils to bowl facets. Wrought-iron floor has an octagonal open well looking Baptistry screen dated to 1893 and into the ground-floor hall and protected chancel screen of 1896 modified from a by a reeded balustrade. The doors to the design by Arthur Bloomfield. two principal rooms on this floor are of muntin type with stained glass panels. 9-11 Waterloo Road and 16-28 Victoria The north room also has a fireplace with Road, Victoria Terrace a 3-panel overmantel. Listed Grade II Terrace of houses built in 1869 St Peter’s Road, Church of St Peter specifically as lodging houses for seaside and St John holidaymakers. Built of red brick with Listed Grade II* gault brick dressings, it has slate roofs Parish Church. Mostly built between with the occasional concrete corrugated 1875-1887, with an early 15th century tile replacement. It is of three-storeys north-west tower. Constructed in cut with a dormer attic. Arranged with flint with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. paired entrance porches under segmental Comprises a nave, aisles and chancel, arches with a 2-storey canted bay right with a baptistery added south of the and left, one to each house. Fenestration tower in 1893. 4-stage tower with was originally of 2/2 and 3/3 horned diagonal stepped buttresses. 3-light sashes, although these have now mostly perpendicular restored west window. been replaced with late 20th century Lancet to the second stage above. casements. Corner pavilion at junction Cusped square light to ringing chamber. with Wellington Road is of 4 storeys and 2-light louvred belfry windows. 4 corner has a hipped roof. All other roofs are turrets to the parapet. Between the gabled, with one segmental-headed gabled, apsed, baptistery and the tower is dormer to each house. Ridge stacks at a square vestry lit through square-headed the division between properties. lights. The baptistery has trefoiled lancets with trefoils above. 4-bay aisles 1-23 (consecutive) Wellington with stepped buttresses and 2-light Esplanade perpendicular windows. 5 square Listed Grade II clerestorey windows with quatrefoils or Terrace of houses built 1852-53 by John cusped petal motifs. Square south porch. Louth Clemence for Sir Samuel Morton 5-light chancel east window and two 3- Peto. Red brick with gault brick light side windows, those to the north dressings, the roofs were originally of omitted to facilitate the canted chancel slate, but are now partly concrete tile. vestry. Interior contains a 5-bay double- The central block and end pavilions are chamfered arcade on octagonal piers of raised, the latter defined by rusticated yellow brick with red brick banding. Very quoins and hipped roofs. The terrace is wide chancel arch. Arch-braced roof on of three storeys with basements. Each wall posts dropping to corbels. house has a two-storey bay and a porch Polychrome brick to baptistery. entrance. Fenestration was originally of Chamfered west tower arch on wave- horned sashes without glazing bars, but moulded jambs with one order of now mostly comprises mid-late 20th engaged columns on high polygonal century casements. Each house has a bases. Plain octagonal 15th century font stack on the front and rear roof slopes. from Gillingham church, Norfolk: The terrace forms part of the extensive

a1/9 plan for housing originally devised in 1846 by J.L. Clemence for Sir Samuel Morton Peto for the development of Lowestoft as a fashionable holiday resort, made possible by the building of the railway by Peto in the 1840s.

Candidates for Spot Listing

Sailors’ and Fishermen’s Bethel, Battery Green Kirkley Church Hall, St Peter's Road Road Kirkley Church Hall is a single-storey building of flint construction with red brick and coade stone dressings, and a concrete pantile roof. Set within restricted grounds defined by hedges and a modern wooden fence, the Hall is rectangular on plan, aligned approximately east-west, with a lower wing to the north, and low, gabled projections on the north and south elevations. Beach House, Beach Road

The principle elevation faces west onto St Peter’s Road and is formed by the gable end, finished by a double bell cote at the gable apex. Red bricks are used to define the base and edges of the gable and also for the buttresses to the centre and sides of the elevation. The central buttress is flanked by a pair of tall lancet windows, each containing two lancets with a blind oculus within its head. Contrasting red brick is used Loading door on East Elevation, Beach House decoratively around the window head. A gabled projection to the left of this elevation contains a four-pointed doorway within a coade stone surround and provides the principle entrance into the hall. The north elevation contains a series of simple paired lancets, with further architectural embellishment in contrasting red brick around their heads. A further gabled projection is set to the west of the elevation with three lancets in its gable wall. To the south, the Jarrold House, 1-3 Beach Road building is similarly fenestrated, and includes a pair of chimney stacks within a1/10 the side elevation of the main hall and in exiting through the parapet. A pair of tall the east wall of the projection. chimneystacks with corbelled heads are visible to either side of the right bay, 32 Kirkley Cliff Road whilst a further stack is present against 32 Kirkley Cliff Road is an early 20th the left elevation of the left bay. century building, designed in the Arts and Crafts style. It is a two-storey Victoria Chalets, Jubilee Parade building, constructed of brick with The Victoria Chalets were constructed in rendering and a plain tile roof. The the 1930s as part of the creation of principle elevation has three gabled bays Jubilee Parade. Situated at the base of of equal size, whilst to the rear of the Kirkley Cliffs, the chalets overlook the building, a further taller gable is visible South Beach and are formed by a two- rising above the roof line. storey building of concrete construction, with pitched corrugated metal roofs. The central bay of the ground floor externally is lower than the flanking bays Of 17 bays in length, each bay houses a and contains a low door, set to the left of separate bathing chalet. Each of the a three-light leaded window. Three ground-floor chalets are accessed from a substantial stone corbels project across doorway in the east elevation with a the bay supporting a balcony at first-floor flanking window (now boarded), level. The right bay contains a T-plan arranged in pairs across the elevation. bay window, which continues through to The first floor is accessible from external first-floor level. Sash windows are stairs located at either end of the building retained in the bay, with rectangular and a pair of internal stairs flanking the leaded panes in the upper sash. The left three central bays. The upper gates bay contains a large semi-circular bay employ a sun motif, which is also visible window, which also retains its original on railings on the Upper Esplanade. At sashes of similar form to the right bay. first-floor level the chalets are set back to Both windows in the left and right bays create a broad walkway, providing rise above the corbels of the central bay, common access to the chalets and an creating an appearance of shifting height. area for patrons to sit out. The door and window to each chalet is recessed from At first-floor level, the building contains the building frontage at this level. A low three sash windows of similar form in the parapet formed by concrete blocks with left bay, and the T-plan bay window in central rectangular openings runs across the right bay. The central bay contains the elevation, forming a strong repetitive the corbelled balcony, with a semi- feature across the chalets. The central circular opening over. A central door three bays project vertically and flanked by paired leaded windows to horizontally on the first floor, with a either side, gives access onto the balcony. raised hipped roof over and a flat-roofed Green tiles arranged in a diamond portico extending across the walkway. pattern ornament the rendered balcony The parapet across these bays has been parapet. To either side, the central bay is replaced with modern concrete blocks flanked by metal down pipes with with hollow square motif. The end bays rectangular rainwater heads fed from each contain a slightly projecting block at gutters between the three ranges and first-floor level with independent hipped roof.

a1/11 The Chalets form a striking structure on the South Beach, enhanced by the brightly-coloured painted woodwork which forms a stark contrast to the white painting of the surrounding concrete.

Jubilee Parade Chalets, Jubilee Parade Jarrold House, 1-3 Beach Road Jubilee Parade Chalets are located to the south of Jubilee Parade and were constructed as an integral part of the planning of the Parade in the 1930s. Of concrete construction, the Chalets are formed in two separate parts: that to the north combines private individual chalets and public facilities, whilst that to the south contains private chalets only. Both are of a single storey, with the flat roof providing a promenade and viewing platform. Concrete blocks with The Morning Star, central rectangular openings are Carlton Road arranged to form a decorative geometric pattern along the parapet. Access to the upper level is via two external flights of concrete stairs, which give access to this level and also provide a link with the Upper Esplanade above.

The southern structure is formed in 11 bays, each of which contains a single chalet with its own brightly coloured painted door and shuttered window. 1930s shelter by Marine This block curves to the south, Parade, Esplanade terminating with views along the Parade. The northern block is exceptionally long, comprising 19 bays to the left, each of which contains a pair of brightly painted chalets with individual doors and shuttered windows. Further to the right is a small shop with semi-circular bay window and then a covered shelter with wooden benches, flanked by public toilets.

1930s shelter by Marine Parade, Esplanade a1/12 Candidates for the List of Buildings of Local Historic or Architectural Importance

The Gourock Rope Works, Battery Green Road The Gourock Rope Works building was erected in the late 19th century, following the sale of the Grove Estate in the 1880s. The premises were erected for the Gourock Rope Works Co Ltd, a Scottish-based firm specialising in the production of rope, cloth, and sailcloth.

Despite its late date of construction, the Rope Works follows the traditional building form of the Lowestoft docksides, being a tall, narrow structure, gabled to the streetfront. Construction is in red brick with coade stone dressings. Of three storeys, the ground floor contains a good shop front with two- light display window to the right and, double door to the left. A series of small rectangular casements are set above these, and all is set between pilasters with console brackets. The first floor appears lower than the other floors due to the use of a continuous sill course and string course above, combined with a deep coade stone lintel. This floor contains a pair of casement windows at its centre, flanked by individual windows to the left and right with bull nosed brick jambs. These are of unusual form: each window contains a two over three pane window with a small rectangular window above, in the head of the window, lending the storey a distinctive rhythm. The third floor is dominated by the large central, round-headed window. Gault brick is used around the head of the building, whilst around this runs the painted sign recording ‘GOUROCK ROPE WORKS CO LTD’. A pair of bull nosed brick jambs flank the window and give way to

a1/13 four over four gabled to Battery Green Road. A small sash windows forecourt survives to the south of the to either side. building, defined by a low brick wall A continuous with ornamental metal railings atop. sill course The south elevation is articulated by runs below unornamented pilasters between the the windows, bays, each containing a large, pointed with a small window above a pair of heavily eroded ornamental commemoration plaques. The third bay motif at 24 Gordon Road its centre. from the west is defined by a projecting porch with the principal window of the Sailors’ and elevation above. The porch has a Fishermen's pitched slate roof and finial and contains Bethel, a double door with overlight, within a Battery pointed opening, ornamented with Green Road coade stone springers, moulded brick The hood mould and shaped bargeboards. Fishermen’s Bethel was The east elevation to Battery Green founded in the Road is formed by the gable end of the mid-19th building, flanked by a low porch to the century. 14-15 Grove Road Originally north. To either side, the gable contains operating a pair of large pointed windows of from a similar form to the south elevation. A mission hall pointed door is situated in the centre of on Lake the elevation but has been altered to Lothing, the form a window, although retaining its Mission ornamental overlight and hood mould. moved to this In the apex of the gable, are three small, purpose-built structure in 1899.

Thatched Cottage It is a rectangular structure located on the junction of Battery Green Road and Grove Road, constructed in red brick with a slate roof. The building 25-26 Kirkley Cliff Road is of six bays, aligned east-west, and a1/14 pointed windows, set above stone plaques commemorating the foundation of the Bethel in 1899 and its dedication to Jesus Christ. Plain barge boards define the gable, with a plain collar at its head. The porch extending to the north of the elevation is gabled to the north and contains a double door within a pointed opening.

Beach House, Beach Road Beach House was known as the Star Building when first constructed in the 1880s and refronted by the local architect R. S. Cockrill in the late 19th century for J & W Stuart, net manufacturers. Later used by the Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, the building has now been converted for residential use.

The principal elevation fronts onto Beach Road and is of five bays and of two storeys. Constructed in brick, the principal elevation is stuccoed with banded rustication across the ground floor. A parapet runs across the elevation above a dentil and modillion cornice below. The central bay contains a portico entrance at ground-floor level, with double panelled doors. Paired Doric columns, joined by three thick horizontal bands towards their base and supporting a frieze and cornice ornamented with triglyphs and mutules. A central panel within the frieze records the company name of J & W Stuart. Above the cornice, a scrolled escutcheon is visible behind modern planters. The bays flanking the portico are blind, whilst the outer bays each contain an eight over eight sash window, with a decorative keystone over. The first floor is defined by a moulded floor band and contains five eight-over-eight sash windows with a simply moulded continuous lintel running across the elevation. The central bay, over the portico, projects slightly

a1/15 and the windows of similar form, and two window is set modern doors, inserted into formerly within a larger openings. An angled corner bay is moulded present to the south of the elevation, architrave and contains an original door on the with ground floor, with casement window ornamental above. The south elevation also keystone contains a further loading door and feature over. window at first-floor level, with a simple Each of 47 Kirkley Cliff Road the flanking modern sash window below. windows is finished with a Jarrold House, 1-3 Beach Road plain block Constructed in the 1880s as premises for keystone. Flood and Son, a firm of Stationers and Printers, this is a two-storey building The east located on a corner site at the junction elevation of Grove and Beach Roads. The overlooks building is of brick construction, beach mews rendered externally, with a slate roof. and the blind Situated on a square site, the building elevation of has frontages to both Grove Road and t h e 50 Kirkley Cliff Road adjacent Beach Road, with an angled bay on the Salvation corner, which houses the main entrance. Army Hall. This elevation The Grove Road elevation is of five contains four bays. The left bay contains a secondary loading doors entrance, containing modern doors. The at first floor remaining bays each hold large plate level with glass display windows with segmental pulleys over, heads, shouldered architraves and interspersed keystones. The heads of all windows are with casement currently blind to create rectangular windows, all glazed openings. The three central bays 53 Kirkley Cliff Road of which have have been subject to some alteration f l a t lintels in with the lowering of the sills to provide gauged a larger display area. The right bay is brickwork. defined by pilasters, console brackets Owing to the and a dentil cornice, suggesting that this conversion for formed part of the main shop frontage. residential use, At first-floor level are five pairs of top- metal opening casement windows, flanked by balustrades an individual window to either end. A have been simple cornice is present on the piers placed across between windows in the form of corner- the loading set bricks. 55 Kirkley Cliff Road doors. The ground floor contains The Beach Road elevation is of four a1/16 bays. The ground floor is defined by pilasters and a dentil cornice. Console brackets are present to either side of the left bay, adjacent to the entrance, and against the right, end elevation. Each bay contains a window with shouldered architrave and, similarly to the Grove Road elevation, the head of each window is blind. A convex moulding runs across the elevation from the springing of the shouldered architrave, visually linking the bays. The first-floor contains top- opening casement windows, paired except for the left bay where three are set within the bay. The corner-set brick cornice continues across this elevation.

The angled corner bay houses the principal entrance to the premises. The doorway is set below a triangular pediment, supported on a pair of engaged Corinthian columns, the collars of which are moulded with the letters of the alphabet, reflecting the construction of the building for a printing firm. A large shop sign is present at first-floor level. The corner bay terminates in a shaped gable that contains a medallion showing the crest of Lowestoft. A pair of ball finials flank the gable, whilst a

a1/17 further finial is wider than the flanking bays and breaks placed at its forward and has a gable with plain apex. bargeboards; the principal entrance is situated at ground-floor level within this The Morning bay. An open, timber-framed porch Star Pub, with pitched plain tile roof is set before Carlton Road a projecting herringbone brick porch The Morning with leaded glass windows and a pair of Star pub is well-detailed double doors decorated located 1-6 Banner Court at the junction with coloured glass and the word ‘BAR’ o f Carlton Road incorporated in their design. At first- and Kirkley floor level, the central bay contains four Street. This is leaded-glass casement windows flanked a two-storey by panels picked out in contrasting public house, colour in the render. The gable of the purpose built bay is finished with hanging tiles and in 1930. It is contains two small, narrow casements to constructed of illuminate the attic. The flanking two brick with bays are of identical form, each contains some two windows with semi-circular arched structural use head and herringbone brickwork below of tiles St Mary’s RC Convent for decorative their sills. A continuous tile band runs Primary School effect; render and across the elevation, level with the hung tiles are springing of the window head. The also arches over the windows are also employed, executed in vertically-set tiles, with a whilst the roof raised tile keystone. Set above the is of plain windows is a decorative oculus, with tile tiles. In surround and four keystones. The architectural oculus to the east records the date of the style, the building’s construction. The first floor building contains paired casement windows with combines leaded glass, flanked by panels of similar Hotel Victoria, Kirkley elements of form to the central bay. Cliff Road vernacular and Georgian The east elevation is also of note for styles to containing an imitation Georgian shop pleasing front. Defined by pilasters and console effect. brackets to the left and right, a pair of doors flanks a central bay window with The principal fascia over recording the name of the elevation faces Morning Star and Lacons Ale, a Suffolk Carlton Road brewing company. and is of five bays, with a 29 Carlton Road 1-8 Victoria Court, hipped roof. This is a two-storey villa constructed in T h e Kirkley Cliff Road central bay is 1899, and located at the junction of a1/18 Carlton Road and St Aubyn’s Road, curved elevation was formerly glazed but terminating a varied terrace of houses to now retains only the original metal the east. It is constructed in red brick window frames, the form of which with coade stone dressings and a emphasises the horizontal character of concrete pantile roof. the structure. Internally, the shelter retains a raised central platform, now The principal elevation fronts Carlton dominated by a modern timber structure Road and is formed in three bays. The for use as part of the lifeguard station. left bay contains a canted bay window, extending through the ground and first 24 Gordon Road floors and retaining its plate glass sash This is a detached villa of late 19th windows. Coade stone is used for the century date, constructed in red brick lintels, whilst diaper panels are placed with coade stone dressings. The below the first-floor windows for principal elevation is of three bays with a decorative effect. A rectangular bay low parapet over. The outside bays window runs through the ground and contain a canted bay window extending first floors of the right bay. Containing a through the ground and first floors, full-size sash window, flanked by narrow executed in coade stone, with projecting sashes to either side, coade stone is used cornice running between the floors. The for the mullions, sills and lintels, with a bays contain round-headed windows with simple fluted motif around the head of hood mould over and foliate label stops. the mullions. The central bay contains Foliate moulding is also used across the the front door within a round-headed mullions at the springing of the arch, recess, with hood mould over and foliate whilst diaper decoration is used between decorated keystone. An oriel window the window heads and the cornice. At corbels out from the keystone. The first-floor level the bay windows are less corbelling is alternately decorated with ornate, with sash windows with curved foliate moulding and a smooth finish. corners, set above a panelled base and This motif is also continued in spandrels continuous sill. The central bay contains above the arched door opening, intertwined with the numbers ‘18’ and ‘99’, recording the date of construction.

1930s Shelter by Marine Parade, Esplanade This shelter, now used as a lifeguard station, is likely to have been constructed as part of the improvements to the seafront undertaken in the 1930s. Of concrete construction and semi-circular plan, the shelter has an overhanging flat roof and extends east of the Esplanade, rising above the beach. Entrance to the shelter is through the straight, west elevation, and is defined by concrete piers of rounded section facing the Esplanade. Overlooking the beach, the

a1/19 the entrance within an elaborately moulded surround. A pair of pilasters with foliate capitals and moulded vertical panels support an elliptical-arched opening with fluted keystone, foliate- decorated spandrels and cornice over. The name ‘LYNDHURST’ s inscribed within the frieze above the door. The arch gives entry to a recessed porch with 9-16 Kirkley Cliff Road, W elevation double panelled doors and flanking windows. The coade stone surround continues from the entrance to the first floor, where it contains a pair of round- headed sash windows, separated by a Corinthian column. A small ornamental balconette is set below the window, with decorative metal railing. A broken pediment is placed over the bay, supported on fluted floral brackets and finished with a central medallion decorated with a green man. Kirkley House, Kirkley Cliff Road 13, 14 & 15 Grove Road Terraced of three houses dating from c.1880s, constructed in red brick with slate roofs. Numbers 13 and 14 are arranged symmetrically with paired entrances. Each house contains a canted bay window rising through the ground and first floors, flanked by the recessed front door with single sash window at first-floor level above. A pair of through-passages to the rear of the 9 Kirkley Park Road terrace is placed between numbers 12 and 13, and 14 and 15, with a single sash window placed over. Above each of the bay windows is an attic dormer window. These buildings are of particular significance because of the quality of the decorative detailing which is executed in moulded brick. The ground floor is defined by a finely moulded cornice with egg-and-dart moulding, whilst a good dentil cornice runs over the first-floor. Keystones are present over every 21 Kirkley Park Road window and door opening, extending into the cornice above. The front doors a1/20 and through passages are set within second floor varies according to roof elaborately moulded doorcases. Pilasters form: those buildings with gabled roofs flank the opening, rising to simply have two sash windows set below a articulated capitals that support a herringbone decorated gable, whilst the recessed panel in the frieze. The paired buildings with half-hipped roofs have doorways of number 13 and 14 are more four-light windows, below a close- elaborately treated with a raised lozenge studded gable with central oculus in the frieze. window. Good metal railings are retained over the bay windows with Thatched Cottage, Kirkley Cliff decorative curved motif. Also of note is The Thatched Cottage is an idiosyncratic the use of plain pilasters with spherical building constructed on Kirkley Cliff pinnacles between adjoining bay around the 1930s and presently housing a windows. café. It is a single-storey structure, rendered and colourwashed externally, 47-48 Kirkley Cliff Road with a thatched roof. Constructed on an 47-48 Kirkley Cliff Road were L-plan, with a short range to Kirkley constructed in the late 19th century as a Cliff, the centre of the long range rises pair of semi-detached townhouses and and projects south in its centre, with a are constructed of gault brick with a slate low gable projecting to the south. roof. Of two storeys with an attic, the Decorative timber framing is used in the buildings are designed to appear as a gables. Casement windows run around single structure and are symmetrical in the structure, creating a light interior. arrangement. Each building is of three bays, with a continuous ground- and 25-31 Kirkley Cliff Road first-floor canted bay window in the This is a terrace of seven, three-storey outer bay. A small moulded brick townhouses, constructed in the early 20th pediment is placed over the central century. The terrace is constructed in red window on the ground floor. The attic brick with a plain tile roof and pierced in the outer bays contains dormer ridge piece. The attic storey is rendered windows within a Dutch gable. The and colourwashed, with decorative gable is ornamented with fluted pilasters timber-framing. Each house is of two, and foliate capitals, below a dentil irregular bays in width, creating a tall, cornice and a pediment filled with narrow building frontage. The buildings diaperwork. The attic window is set are arranged in symmetrical pairs, with within a shaped architrave with apron. the exception of number 29. Also of The central bay of each building contains interest is the use of half-hipped roofs to the front door at ground-floor level, set numbers 25, 28 and 31, contrasting within a gabled porch with shaped posts effectively with the gabled roofs of the and moulded bargeboards, in contrast rest of the terrace. Each house has a with the more classical detail used across canted bay window rising through the the rest of the building. At first-floor ground and first floors, and in the level above this is a sash window with adjacent bay, a front door and single-light dentil pediment and decorative stone window above. Stone mullions and lintel. The inner bay of both properties transoms are used across these windows, forms a single gable with dentil eaves and many retain good coloured glass in cornice and finials. Four sash windows the upper light. The fenestration of the are situated within the gable. The inner

a1/21 pair of these windows are set within projecting brickwork, with a long, narrow, recessed archway set below. Floral moulded bricks are situated between the first and attic floors along the majority of the frontage.

49-50 Kirkley Cliff Road Numbers 49-50 Kirkley Cliff Road was 30-32 Kirkley Park th Road constructed in the late 19 century as a pair of semi-detached townhouses. Constructed in gault brick with a slate roof, the properties appear as a single architectural unit and are designed symmetrically. Each building is of three storeys and three bays, the central two bays being united under a large shaped gable with central blind oculus. The outer bay of each house contains a canted bay window, rising through the ground and first floors, with a segmental 35 Kirkley Park Road pediment to the ground floor and dentil cornice over the first floor. Above this is a dormer window to the attic, set below a steeply pitched triangular pediment with diaper decoration, with moulded window frame and fluted pilasters. The central bay of each house contains a single narrow window at ground and first floors, and a shorter window to the attic. The inner, central bays each contain a rectangular bay window, extending through the ground 51-53 Kirkley Park and first floors, with a triangular Road pediment over the central ground floor window and shaped lintels to the first floor. At attic level, each house contains two sash windows, flanked by a fluted pilaster between the inner and central bays, supporting the shared shaped gable over. Further unifying the two houses is the centrally-placed blind arch, extending from the ground to the top of the first floor, with decorative keystone at its head. The entrance to each house 84-86 Kirkley Park is located along the side elevation, set Road back from the main façade. Number 49 a1/22 is painted externally, and has been window is located above this at first-floor refenestrated with top-hung timber level which is supported on decorative casements. Number 50 retains sash corbels, one of which incorporates a windows across the principal elevation. carved shell motif. The window has a conical metal roof, with decorative 53-54 Kirkley Cliff Road ironwork at the apex. The south bay 53-54 Kirkley Cliff Road forms a pair of contains a continuous square bay window late 19th century semi-detached to the ground and first floor, with townhouses. Designed to appear as a decorative stonework at the junction single symmetrical structure, the design between the two floors. The north bay of the building is similar to that of 47-48 contains a continuous canted bay to the and especially 49-50 Kirkley Cliff Road. ground and first floors. Both bay Of gault brick construction with a windows are simply decorated, with pitched concrete tile roof, each building Doric pilasters to the southern example. is of three storeys and three bays. The inner bay of each house contains a Banner Court, Kirkley Cliff Road continuous square bay window at Banner Court forms a pair of early 20th ground- and first-floor level, with two century townhouses, later converted into windows to the second floor, flanked by 12 flats. The front elevation comprises fluted pilasters. These bays rise into a four gables, each of three storeys. Of single shaped pediment, with dentil brick construction, the first floor is cornice, containing a blind oculus. The rendered whilst the second floor is tile- central bay of each house contains a hung. The outer two bays project single window to the ground and first slightly, and contain a continuous square floors, contained within raised brickwork. bay window to the ground and first A further single window is located at floors. Two hung sash windows are second-floor level. The outer bays each situated at second floor level in the contain a canted bay window to the southern bay, with a single hung sash ground and first floors, with a single window located in the northern bay. The window at second-floor level. Above is a central two bays contain a continuous small pediment containing diaperwork. canted bay window to the centre, with The main entrance to each house the door to each house located beside projects from the outer elevation, and is this. A shallow balcony with geometric recessed substantially from the main timber balustrade runs the length of the elevation. All windows to both two bays at first-floor level, accessed by a properties are uPVC replacements. door and porchway at either end. The northern of the two inner bays contains a 55 Kirkley Cliff Road four light window beside the porch. At 55 Kirkley Cliff Road is of two storeys second floor level this bay contains two and three bays. It is built in red brick laid irregular hung sash windows, with a in Flemish bond and has a hipped further small window in the gable. The concrete tile roof. The main entrance is southern inner bay contains a canted bay located centrally, and is housed under a window at first floor level. The second large semi-circular arched doorway. The floor projects, and contains a hung sash date of construction – 1901 – is carved window and a canted oriel window with above the door. A small bowed oriel dentil cornice. A small oeil-de-boeuf window is located within the gable.

a1/23 St Mary's RC Convent Primary School, Kirkley Cliff Road Designed by Hans Fleck of Johns, Slater and Haward Architects, Ipswich, St Mary’s Primary School was constructed in 1969-1971. The plan form and constructional methods both follow those developed by Johns, Slater and Haward, involving a pre-cast reinforced 25 Kirkley Street concrete post system and a mixture of pyramidal and flat timber roofs. The building is mostly single storey, but the central hall rises to one and a half storeys in height and has a large pyramidal roof. The hall has celing- height windows along most of the elevations. The walls are clad in vertical cedar boarding, with large uPVC casement windows. A simple rectangular water tower is located to the north of the building, similarly clad in 39-45 London Road vertical timber boarding. North

Hotel Victoria, Kirkley Cliff Road Designed by George Skipper, Hotel Victoria forms an imposing building along the seafront. Constructed in red brick with a slate roof and dentil eaves cornice, it is of three storeys with attic and exposed basement. Of seven bays, it has a symmetrical design. The two outer and single central bays rise to form three shaped gables on the main, 147-149 London Road seaward-facing, façade (facing east). South Each gable contains a continuous canted bay window to the basement, first, second and third floors. Each gable contains a pair of windows housed beneath a small brick pediment. The central gable also includes a decorative moulded brick roundel displaying the date of construction – 1897. A balcony with cast iron balustrade is located at first floor level. The bays flanking the central gable are both recessed at first 212 London Road South, and second floor level, and contain a Plough and Sail Pub single window to the basement, first and a1/24 second floors. The ground floor converted in to 16 flats. Of red brick contains a large window set beneath a construction with a mansard slate roof, it semicircular arch. A further dormer was designed by G. & F. Skipper of window is situated at attic level. Those Norwich. Each building is designed bays flanking the two outer gables symmetrically, and is of three storeys contain a single window to each level. with attic. On the main, east elevation, All windows are uPVC replacements, and the central bay to each property contains are housed beneath squared-headed brick the main entrance, comprising a modern lintels with stone keystones. The second uPVC door with large overlight. A single and third floors a separated by a brick window is located above this at first- and double stringcourse, with simple brick second-floor level, with a further dormer ornamentation below the windows to the window to the attic. The outer bay to second floor. To the north, a modern each house contains a continuous canted one-storey extension has been added. bay window with dentil cornice to the This is of brick construction, with ground, first and second floor. These continuous fenestration to the east bays rise to form shaped gables, elevation. containing a pair of windows beneath a simple triangular pediment. The first The modern alterations continue along floor contains a balcony with cast iron the ground floor of the west elevation. balustrade. Above, the first and second Above, the three central bays are floors are separated by a simple brick recessed. The end and central bays form stringcourse, with brick decoration below three shaped gables, similar to those on the second-floor windows. All windows the east elevation. The central gable, are uPVC replacements, with square- however, is much narrower on this headed brick lintels with stone keystones. elevation. It contains a three light window at first and second floor level, On the west elevation, a further two with a further three light window with ranges project westwards from the outer pediment in the gable. The outer two bays. These both have pitched slate gables contain tripartite windows to the roofs and a small oeil-de-boeuf window first and second floors, and a pair of set within the gable. The southern oeil- windows with pediment to the gable. de-boeuf window on 9-16 Victoria Court The bays to either side of the central has, however, been replaced with a gable contain two hung sash windows to casement window. The ground floor of the first and second floors, with a single each contains a square oriel window with dormer above. The bays flanking the dentil cornice, flanked by a large panelled outer gables contain single hung sash doorway with decorative semi-circular windows to the first and second floors. fanlight. A pair of windows are located A dominant stringcourse runs the length at both first and second floor level, with of the elevation between the first and a simple brick string course between the second floors, with decorative brickwork two levels. The central bay contains a located immediately above this. narrow semi-circular headed alcove, flanked to either side by a narrow Victoria Court, Kirkley Cliff Road window, to all floors, with a dormer Victoria Court comprises two semi- window above. This is flanked by detached properties, originally further windows at first and second floor comprising four townhouses, but later level.

a1/25 Kirkley House, Kirkley Cliff Road Kirkley House forms a pair of semi- detached townhouses. Built by G. & F. Skipper, the east elevation to this building matches the design of Victoria Court to form a row of three identical structures along the seafront. However, whereas both buildings forming Victoria Court have doors to the central bays of 247 London Road South the ground floor, Kirkley House contains windows in this location. It is likely that the doors to Victoria Court are modern insertions relating to their conversion to flats, whilst those on Kirkley House represent the original design.

Although the west elevation to Kirkley House would have originally matched that to Victoria Court, it has been substantially altered. The northern east- 283-285 London Road west range has been extended further South (odd) westwards, with a four-light window to the ground floor, paired windows two the first and second floors, and a single hung sash window in the gable. The central portion of the building has also been extended westwards at ground- floor level, forming a modern, slate- hung addition containing two doorways. The north range contains a four-light window to the ground floor. One of the paired windows to the first floor has St Aubyns Court, been replaced with a semi-circular London Road South headed door, giving access to an informal balcony space. The original paired windows to the second floor and oeil-de-boeuf window in the gable survive. Projecting above the roofline in this area is an inserted lift-shaft, the exterior of which is hung with slates.

9 Kirkley Park Road Arts and Crafts in style, 9 Kirkley Park Road was built in the early 20th century 381 London Road South by R.S. Cockrill. It has a pitched tile roof, with two chimneys to both end a1/26 gables, and is of two storeys and three at first-floor level, with a decorative bays. The two outer bays are rendered, Corinthian windowframe. The outer and contain a continuous square bay bays contain a continuous canted bay window to the ground and first floors. window rising through the ground and Both floors contain casement windows, first floors, and with matching with those to the ground floor also Corinthian detail. Above each bay is a retaining heraldic stained glass. The steep gable with a single hung-sash central bay is tile-hung, and contains a window and decorative bargeboards. central doorway to the ground floor, housed under a tiled roof. The first floor 35 Kirkley Park Road contains one central casement window, Constructed in the late 19th century, 35 and rises to form a small gable. Kirkley Park Road is built in red brick, and of two storeys with attic. The main 21 Kirkley Park Road portion of the house is of three bays. It Designed by R.S. Cockrill in the early contains a central doorway housed under 20th century in an Arts and Crafts style. a semi-circular arch with Corinthian It is of two storeys and rendered. The capitals and a dentil cornice. A single principal façade is of three bays, each hung sash window is located above this. suromounted by a gable. The ground The door is flanked to either side by floor contains a central doorway, housed canted bay windows, which rise to first- within a modern fenestrated porch, with floor level. These bays have a simple a three light casement window to either brick stringcourse and floral swag side. A single casement window is moulded brick decoration between the located centrally above the door at first- ground and first floors, and crenulations floor level, with two further casement to the top. Both bays rise into gables, windows to either side. Above this the and contain single semi-circular headed gables project slightly. The pitched roofs windows. A further structure is located are tiled, with two chimneys to the south. to the south of this. Of one storey, it Two large rainwater heads are located on contains a bowed bay window with the front elevation, corresponding to the original stained glass and crenulated top. two valley gutters. A small modern extension is also located to the north. 30-32 Kirkley Park Road Forming a pair of semi-detached 51-53 Kirkley Park Road townhouses, 30-32 Kirkley Park Road is Of early 20th century date, 51-53 Kirkley of two-storeys with a pitched concrete Park Road comprises a pair of semi- tile roof and two ridge chimneys. detached houses, arranged symmetrically. Construction is of red-brick with coade The main portion of the building is stone dressings. The properties are housed under a deep hipped tiled roof symmetrical and of two bays. The inner with overhanging eaves and five bay contains the front door, set within a chimneys, whilst to the east are two recessed porch with pediment and gables each containing a canted bay Corinthian capital detailing. Both window. The bay windows rise through entrances retain their original the ground and first floors and are tile- polychrome tile paths. A single hung hung. Between these, and under the sash window is situated above the door deep tiled roof, the main entrances to the properties are located, each flanked by a

a1/27 narrow casement window. All windows are uPVC replacements.

84-86 Kirkley Park Road 84-86 Kirkley Park Road was built in the early 20th century as a pair of semi- detached houses. Brick-built, it has a hipped tile roof and a central ridge chimney. The two properties are 167, 169 & 171 London Road South arranged symmetrically and are each of two bays. The central bay to each property projects slightly from the remainder of the main elevation, and houses a wide casement window to both floors. The outer corner to both the windows and the bay as a whole curves. The outer bay to each house contains a door to the ground floor, with stone surround. A further door is located at first-floor level, which provides access to a small balcony. The balcony to the London Road looking right property retains a simple north to the rear of Marine Parade balustrade, whilst that to the left has no balustrade. A one-storey garage is located to either side of the property. The garages appear to be integral to the original design of the house, and contains a large garage door on its main elevation.

25 Kirkley Street Brick-built, of two storeys with attic and three bays, 25 Kirkley Street is of early 79-81 London Road 18th century date. It has a steeply South pitched tile roof with tumbling brickwork to the gables and two end ridge chimneys. Originally a detached property, it is now abutted by properties to either side. The ground floor contains a central doorway housed within a brick porch. This is flanked to either side by a single casement window. Two further casement windows are located at first-floor level. In addition, there is a single, centrally located dormer Lion statue in the garden window at attic level. Within the of 411 St John Street frontgarden is an original gaslight. a1/28 39-45 (odd) London Road North century, at the corner of London Road A series of four matching terraced South and Windsor Road. It is of three- townhouses, each of three storeys with storeys with attic. The London Road attic, built in the late 19th century. South elevation (east) is of three bays. Constructed in gault brick, each property The ground floor is divided into two is separated by a raised pilaster with shopfronts, with a further doorway Corinthian capital. The ground floors located within a semi-circular arched have been converted to shop frontages porchway to the south. The first-floor with varying degrees of success. That to level contains variously a single hung 45 London Road North (now the shop sash window, a canted oriel and a ‘Poundworld’) is of particularly poor tripartite window with dentil cornice. architectural quality. At first-floor level, The oriel window rises to second-floor numbers 39, 41 and 43 retain canted oriel level, and is flanked to either side by windows, with fine semi-circular headed hung sash windows. A dormer windows and floral capital motifs. A containing two windows cuts through the moulded brick stringcourse is located dentil eaves cornice, with a further above. The oriel window to 45 London dormer located at attic level. The corner Road North has been replaced by a first- of the property between London Road floor level shop window. This contains South and Windsor Road is chamfered, an early 20th century large shop window, and contains windows to all levels, with a with ‘HOME FURNISHINGS’ inscribed small pediment containing a further above. Such first-floor shop windows semi-circular window located above. are characteristic to this area of Lowestoft. To the second floor, each The shopfront to 147 London Road property contains paired segmental- South continues on the Windsor Road headed sash windows with margin elevation (north), with a further three glazing. These are housed under large windows located to the west of this. At moulded stone lintels, and separated by a first-floor level, three raised square cylindrical pilaster with Corinthian features are located above the shopfront, capital. Red brick to the window with a similar arrangement at second- surround and a further red brick floor level. To the west, three windows stringcourse at this level provides are located at first-floor level, with a contrasts markedly with the surrounding blocked opening flanked by two windows gault brick. 45 London Road North at second-floor level. A single dormer retains the original slate covering to the window is located above this. A smaller pitched roof, whilst the others have been two-storey structure is located to the replaced with concrete tiles. Each west of this. Similarly of gault brick, it property has a dentil eaves cornice and contains a door and window at ground- single semi-circular headed dormer floor level, with a further window and window, with heavy cornice and blocked opening above. It has a hipped surmounted by a decorative finial. The slate roof. finials to properties 39 and 41 have not survived. 157-159 London Road South, Kirkley Hall 147-149 London Road South 157-159 London Road South comprises a 147-149 London Road South was three bay rendered building, dating to the constructed in gault brick in the late 19th early 20th century. The ground floor has

a1/29 and bargeboard. There is a prominent chimney situated along the north elevation.

431-433 London Road South Constructed in the late 19th century as a single, detached property (Edgecumbe Villa), 431-433 London Road South now forms a pair of semi-detached residences. 408 London Road South Of three bays and two storeys, the building is built in gault brick, with a hipped slate and concrete tile roof and dentil eaves cornice. There are four tall gault-brick chimneystacks. The original door is located within the central bay, within a semi-circular archway. The central portion of the bay is recessed slightly, and contains a single sash window with gauged lintel at first-floor level. The southern bay contains a continuous canted bay window to the 429 London Road South, The Old Coach House ground and first floors. The northern bay contains a further bay window to the ground floor, with a single sash window to the first floor. A simple sill band runs along the whole elevation at first-floor level, with a stringcourse above. The northern bay is now divided from the remainder of the original house to form a separate property (431 London Road South). The property includes a modern extension to the north, incorporating the entrance to 431 London Road North. 431-433 London Road South 537 London Road South Built in red brick with a steep hipped slate roof, the principal elevation of 537 London Road South is of two storeys and three bays and faces east. On the ground floor, the door is located centrally within a recessed porch. The opening to the porch forms a semi-circular archway, with simply moulded brickwork and projecting keystone. This is flanked to either side by a rectangular bay window 537 London Road South containing hung sash windows with margin glazing. At first-floor level is a a1/30 balcony with geometric timber railing of the outer bays contains a continuous running the full length of the elevation canted bay to the ground and first floors, and situated above the two bay windows. with decorative elements again matching The central bay contains a single hung those described above. These rise to sash window, with a tripartite window to form a small gable with pitched roof, each outer bay. These windows all with timber framing to the gable and a contain margin glazing, and are housed decorative bargeboard. A simple faience under segmental-arched lintels. A stringcourse divides the ground and first prominent rectangular bay window, rising floors. from ground to first floor, is also located on the southern elevation. The Drifter Public House, London Road South 539 London Road South Constructed in red brick laid in Flemish Of three bays and two storeys, 539 bond, The Drifter Public House is London Road South is built in gault brick situated on the corner of London Road and Flemish bond, with a hipped slate South and Claremont Road. The slate roof. The door is located centrally within roof is pitched to the south, and hipped a heavy, elaborate surround. This is to the north. The building is of two flanked to either side by a continuous storeys, and contains a single ridge canted bay window, which rises to first- chimney. It is presently vacant and all floor level, and is capped by a low openings are boarded. The principal pyramidal roof. A semi-circular-headed elevation faces west on to London Road window with moulded brick surround South. It contains a timber shopfront to and projecting keystone is located at first- the north at ground-floor level. This is floor level above the door. A flanked to the south by a single square- polychrome tile path leading to the front headed window, paired with a door with door also survives. semi-circular head. To the north of this is a further pair of windows – one 554-556 (even) London Road South squared-headed, the other with a semi- 554 and 556 London Road South form a circular head. Three square-headed pair of symmetrically arranged terraced windows are situated irregularly at first- houses. Each property is of two bays floor level. and two storeys. It is constructed in gault brick, with a pitched roof and The elevation to Claremont Road decorative modillion eaves cornice. The contains a square-headed window to the doors are paired within the inner bays. ground and first floors, with a further Originally the doors were both located blocked window at first-floor level. A within a recessed porchway, but a one-storey extension with dentil eaves secondary door has been inserted into cornice has been added rather clumsily to number 556 so that the entrance is now the east. This contains a door with flush with the façade. Both entrances are rectangular overlight to the west, with housed under elaborate faience door continuous fenestration to the east. Each surrounds, containing a pediment, opening is separated by simply decorated keystone and Corinthian capital pilasters. decoration. A single window, with matching decorative treatment, is located above each door at first-floor level. Each

a1/31 Royal Oak Public House, London Road South Situated on the corner of Clifton Road and London Road South, the Royal Oak Public House is built in gault brick, with contrasting red brick to the eaves cornice. It is of three bays and three storeys with a small parapet above. The central bay breaks forward, and contains 539 London Road South the main door with rectangular overlight. Lettering above this reads ‘ROYAL OAK’. The door is flanked to either side by three windows, each separated by a brick pier with green man decoration to the capital. The piers support modern signage reading ‘ROYAL OAK’, with a restrained entablature with decorative console brackets and a dentil cornice. At first-floor level is a centrally located rectangular bay window resting on two large console brackets with elaborate 554-556 (even) London green man decoration. The outer bays Road South both contain a tripartite hung sash window, with coade stone lintel and decorative brickwork above. The division between the first and second floors is marked by a simple stringcourse. A single sash window is located within the central bay at third-floor level, with three sash windows set to either side. The central bay rises into a small pediment, containing a decorative carved green man. The Drifter Public House, London Road South Lodge to Cemetery, 525 London Road South Positioned to the south of the entrance to Kirkley Cemetery, 525 London Road South was constructed in the late 19th century in a style characteristic to lodge houses of this period. It is brick-built and of two storeys, with a steeply pitched tiled roof, exposed rafters and decorative bargeboards. The main range is aligned north-south, intersected by a, second, Royal Oak Public House, east-west aligned range. The principal London Road South elevation faces east and is dominated by a1/3224 the gable end of the east-west range, modillion eaves cornice above the second which contains tripartite windows at both floor, which forms a semi-circular ground and first-floor level. The pediment above the central bay. windows both have moulded terracotta Lettering within the pediment reads sills, lintels and mullions. To the south ‘MARINA THEATRE’. The central five of the gable the ground floor extends the bays rise to form a third floor, in which east, to align with the gable-end, and is the pilaster decoration extends. The housed under a hipped, tiled roof. It central bay of this contains the semi- contains a single small window, with a circular pediment, whilst the remaining single window above at first-floor level. four bays each contains a single oculus To the north of the gable, a single window. The outer bays are surmounted window is located at ground-floor level, by a shaped parapet. with a dormer window above. The building is dominated by two, large 1-50 Marine Parade chimneys with recessed brick panels. Properties on Marine Parade were constructed as secondary status lodging Marina Theatre, Marina houses in the late 19th century as part of Erected on the site of a former roller- Peto’s development of South Lowestoft skating rink, the Marina Theatre was into a seaside resort. A long terrace of 50 designed by Ernest Runtz and Co. in buildings, it has a pitched roof variously 1901. The principal elevation faces of slate, tile and concrete tile, with a north. It is of eight bays, four storeys simple modillion cornice. Each pair of and is rendered. The eastern bay forms a properties is of a uniform design, with stair tower. It is stylistically rusticated, hanging tenancies used to create the with a small window with semi-circular appearance of a single symmetrical hood mould to the ground floor. A property. This is further accentuated by further oval window with elaborate the use of plain pilasters at the boundary moulded plaster surround, featuring to each pair of properties. The pilasters foliate, scroll and shell motifs, is situated are rusticated to the ground floor. at second-floor level. The remaining Within each pair of buildings, paired seven bays form the main frontage to the doors are flanked to either side by a theatre and are arranged symmetrically. continuous canted bay window, rising The ground floor is rusticated, whilst through to first-floor level. A central each bay to the first and second floor is 'hanging' window is located above the separated by a simple pilaster. Further door, with a further three windows on pilasters to the second floor form a blind the second floor. Each property shares a colonnade. The central bay is bowed, large ridge chimney of sixteen flues with and contains three windows to the its neighbour. The central property of ground and first floors. This is flanked the terrace (now numbers 28 and 29) is by a window and two doors to either side double-fronted and demarcated with a at ground-floor level, each with a semi- central pilastered porch and pedimented circular overlight. The window to the bay window over. west is blind. To the first floor, each bay contains a single window, with those to Railway Bridge, Mill Road the outer bays of half height. Further Built as part of the Kirkley Branch windows are contained in the outer bays Railway in the 19th century, the bridge on at second-floor level. There is a heavy Mill Road is constructed in red and blue

a1/33 brick, with decorative treatment in contrasting gault brick. The archway itself is a four-centred arch, utilising extensive gault brick set on end to form the arch, alongside a stylised keystone and projecting stringcourse. The spandrels have recessed brick panels. Gault brick is used to form quoins either side of the archway. Brick retaining Lodge to Cemetery, London Road South walls project to the side of this.

The Former Grand Hotel, Pakefield Cliff Now part of the CEFAS complex, the former Grand Hotel is a late 19th century building facing directly onto the seafront. The building is constructed in red brick and rendered, with pitched and hipped slate roofs. The principal elevation, facing east, is of 19 bays and three storeys with attic. It is comprised Marina Theatre, Marina of a series of north-south aligned ranges, interspersed with seven east-facing gables. Starting from the south, the first two bays form a single gable, containing two windows at first-floor level, four to the second floor, and a further two paired windows within the gable. There is a small, one-storey, flat-roofed addition extending to the east within the second bay, flanked to the south by a single window. Bays 3, 4 and 5 contain a single window each to the ground, first 28 and 29 Marine and second floor, with two dormer Parade windows at attic level. Bays 6, 7 and 8 form three intersecting gables, each with a single window to the second floor and gable. The ground floor has been extended to the east. Bays 6 and 8 contain a canted bay window to the first floor, with a single casement window between. A door is situated at ground- floor level in bay 9, flanked to the north by a single window. Above, there are two windows at first and second-floor Railway Bridge, level, with two dormer windows to the Mill Road attic. There is a turret situated to the a1/34 rear of the ninth bay. Bay 11 forms a separates the first and second floors. gable, with a single window in the gable Above, properties 6, 7, 8 contain two itself, and two further mullioned hung sash windows at second-floor level, windows below. Bays 12 and 13 have retained within raised brick surrounds. been extended at ground-floor level, with The second floor to numbers 4 and 5 two windows to the first and second contain three semi-circular-headed floor, and a single dormer above. Bay 14 tripartite windows with pillar-style forms another gable, with a continuous mullions, hood moulds and decorative rectangular bay window to the ground keystones, with three dormer windows - and first floors, a single window above above. Three matching tripartite with a further window within the gable. windows are located on properties 2 and Bay 15 contains a single window to each 3 to the second floor, alongside a single floor. The remaining bays have been hung sash, with a further three dormer extended at ground floor level. Bays 16 windows above. Number 1 Pier Terrace and 17 contain a single window to the is of four storeys. Of two bays, the first and second floors, with a dormer northern bay contains a single window to above. Bays 18 and 19 form the final the first, second and third floors, all held gable, with two windows to the first and within a stylised raised brick surround. second floors, and a single window in the The southern bay contains a canted oriel gable. All windows are uPVC window to the first floor, with tripartite replacements. Several intrusive modern sash windows to the second and third extensions have been erected to the floors above. Greater stylistic treatment north and west. has been applied to the third floor, combined with a decorative plaster and 1-8 Pier Terrace dentil eaves cornice. Each floor is 1-8 Pier Terrace comprises a terrace of divided by a plain stringcourse. late 19th century buildings, constructed in gault brick with pitched slate roofs and RNLI statue, Pier Terrace rusticated pilasters separating the Situated between 1 Pier Terrace and the properties. All of the properties have Bascule Bridge, the RNLI statue shopfronts of varying quality to the commemorates Lowestoft’s long ground floor, with a dentil cornice above. association with the RNLI. The statue Number 3 (ATLAS Private Hire Ltd) and depicts a lifeboatman standing on rocky numbers 7 to 8 (Lucky Star Chinese ground, with one hand to his brow, Restaurant) retain early shopfronts of scanning the eastern horizon. The man relatively good architectural quality. is wearing a life jacket with the letters Properties 2 to 8 are of three storeys, ‘RNLI’ across the front. A life belt rests with a canted oriel window to the first upon his right leg. The dedication reads floor, flanked by a window. The exact ‘In dedication to all Lowestoft lifeboatmen past, design of these windows differs, although present and future for their sterling duty to all are set within a raised brick window seafarers of the world’. surround: That to number 2 Pier Terrace is of a tripartite form, whilst numbers 4 Rectory, Rectory Road and 5 form a pair, with that to number 4 Constructed in red brick with a pitched a modern casement, and that to number tile roof, the Rectory is of two storeys. It 5 blind. The remainder are single hung was built in the late 19th century as the sash windows. A projecting stringcourse Rectory for the adjacent Church of St

a1/35 Peter and St John. The main section of the house is of three bays, forming three gables, surmounted by ball finials. It contains a central door with overlight, set within a recessed porch with a Tudor-arch brick lintel. A single window is located at first-floor level above. This is flanked to the east by two paired sash windows, with a single The former Grand Hotel, Pakefield Cliff window over. The windows all have Tudor-arched brick and rusticated stone lintels. To the west is a continuous canted bay window to the ground and first floors. The windows to the ground floor here contain Tudor-arched lintels, with square-headed lintels above. Carved stonework to the top of this window reads ‘ERECTED 1892’ and ‘KIRKLEY RECTORY HOUSE’. There is a string course and sill band between the first and second floors. A Pier Terrace decorative cast iron rainwater head is also present to the east of the door.

A further gable extends to the west, set back from the main building. Similarly built in red brick laid in Flemish bond, it contains two sash windows at both ground and first-floor level. It retains a decorative bargeboard and timber framing to the gable. It is likely that the gable dates to a later phase of construction. RNLI Statue 1 St Peters Road Of two storeys and three bays with a hipped tiled roof, 1 St Peters Road is a detached late 19th century residence. The central bay advances slightly, and contains a doorway, with overlight, set within a semi-circular archway. Above, at first-floor level, is a bowed oriel window with conical roof, surmounted by a weather vane. The south bay contains a continuous canted bay Rectory, Rectory Road window to the ground and first floors. The north bay contains a continuous a1/36 rectangular bay window at ground and advertisement relating to the locally first-floor level. It rises to form a gable, important Tuttles department store with mock timber framing and decorative survives on the southern elevation. bargeboard to the gable. Station, Station Square 11 St Peters Road The second station building on this site, 11 St Peters Road is built in brick with a the present Lowestoft Central Station hipped slate roof and dentil eaves was built by the Lucas Brothers, Peto’s - cornice. It is of two bays and two local building contractors, in 1855. storeys. The ground floor contains a Engravings and photos surviving of the door to the north, with original stained building in its heyday show a grand glass and rectangular overlight. The door building with three Italianate turrets surround has two brick pilasters, along its principal (north) elevation. It is supporting a decorative lintel with scroll evident that what survives is a much motifs and cornice. Above is a single reduced form of the original building. sash window at first-floor level with Built in gault brick, the building is stone sill and lintel. To the south is a principally of one storey with parapet and continuous canted bay window rising moulded stone eaves cornice. A through the ground and first floors. stringcourse and sillband run along all elevations of the building. The parapet 7, 9, 11 Station Square has recessed rectangular panels along its A three storey gault brick building length. The north elevation comprises comprising a terrace of three properties, three main sections. The central section each of two bays. The slate roof is is of six bays, with a mono-pitched roof pitched, with a deep moulded dentil and low parapet. It contains two doors eaves cornice. The ground floor contains to the central bays, with blue brickwork a shopfront to each property, separated to the base, carved stone panels above, by pilasters with circular motif and held within semi-circular arched decoration. Above, further pilasters with openings. These are flanked to either Corinthian capitals separate the side by a blind semi-circular headed properties. Numbers 7 and 9 Station opening and window. A canopy, Square both contain two hung sash supported on large iron brackets, runs windows to the first floor, with semi- the full length of the section. This circular pediments supported on console section is a relatively modern extension brackets. Two further windows with to the ticket hall, but conceals the moulded cornice and console brackets original entrance building to its south. are located at second-floor level on both This is of seven bays, with a hipped slate properties. 11 Station Square contains a roof with a chimneystack to the east and tripartite window with semi-circular west, and is flanked by the bases of two stone pediment, moulded cornice, Italianate towers. A window has been console brackets and mullions to the first inserted into the north elevation of both floor and a decorative carved stone sill towers and a further semi-circular headed band below. Two sash windows with window flanks the east tower. The west moulded cornice and console brackets section has been largely rebuilt. It are situated above at second-floor level. contains nine archways, half of which are A plain sill band stretches across the full glazed, the remainder being blind. The elevation at this level. A painted eastern section contains seven arched

a1/37 openings, three of which are doorways, with blue engineering bricks to the base, and large boarded overlights. One of the remaining openings is blind, whilst the rest form windows. The east elevation to this section contains two semi-circular headed windows, and a segmental headed doorway, with shaped lintel and panelled door. Beside the 1 St Peters Road door is a wide pilaster with recessed panels, blue engineering bricks to the base and a modillion cornice.

The east elevation, fronting directly on to Station Square, contains a blind arcade of nine semi-circular archways to the ground floor, some of which retain moulded plaster panels within the semi- circular head. There are three grilled openings to basement level below. Above, the eaves cornice has been 11 St Peters Road roughly cut back, to lie flush with the elevation, below which are areas of moulded brickwork. The southernmost bay rises to two-storeys in height, with a hipped roof and central chimneystack. A good mid-20th century station sign is situated at first-floor level, and reads ‘BRITISH RAILWAYS’ and ‘LOWESTOFT CENTRAL’. The sign obstructs four window openings. The south elevation to this building is of four bays, and is symmetrically arranged. Lowestoft Central Station Each bay contains a recessed semi- circular archway, which rises from ground to first-floor level. Each archway contains a window to the first floor, with a further recessed rectangular panel below. At ground-floor level, the outer two archways contain doors with semi-circular overlights, whilst the inner two archways contain square-headed windows with sandstone lintels. The central section rises to form a shaped gable, in which a pair of segmental- Tuttles Corner headed windows is situated. To the west of this, the elevation projects a1/38 southwards, and extends for a substantial to the building curves, and contains a distance to the west. This originally bowed oriel window to the first and formed the west wall of the departure second floors. This was originally hall, which was housed beneath a large, crested by an ornamental turret, hipped timber roof. As the roof no destroyed by fire in 1964. Carved longer survives, the wall no longer stonework is present between the first performs a structural function but and second floor, containing foliate - instead forms the southern boundary wall motifs, a construction date of 1893 and of the station complex. Most of the wall the monogram F.S. This monogram contains blind arcading, with phases of relates to Frederick Savage, who funded reconstruction evident. There is a wide the building’s construction. The parapet entrance allowing access to the station here rises to form a small semi-circular platforms. To the east of this, pilasters pediment, and contains a weathered with recessed panels and modillion medallion showing the crest of Lowestoft cornices separate the archways. The (similar to that seen on the Jarrold parapet also only survives on this section House, 1-3 Beach Road) alongside of the wall. A single door is contained at further foliate carving. The oriel window the very eastern end of the elevation. is flanked to either side by a single window to the first and second floors. 18-32 Station Square (Tuttles Corner) To either side of these, seven matching Situated on the corner of Station Square bays extend to the east, and eight bays to and Waveney Road, 18-32 Station Square the north. Each bay contains a single is known locally as ‘Tuttles Corner’, after sash window to the first and second Tuttles Bon Marche Department Store, floors. That to the first floor has a which was located at these premises from segmental headed lintel, whilst that to the the late 19th century till its closure in second floor is Tudor arched, and has a 1981. The building comprises two main projecting stone sill supported on constructional phases. That to the north brackets. A carved panel displaying the forms the original Tuttles department monogram F.S. amongst foliate carving is store, constructed in 1888. The situated between the two windows. A southern, more decorative, portion was moulded brick pilaster separates each designed by local architect Thomas bay, and extends through the eaves Porter, and built by local labour. cornice to parapet height. Some pilasters Originally constructed for Frederick to the west elevation retain ball finials, Savage, and known as the Turret with one finial shaped like a lion also Buildings, the property comprised three present. At the end of each elevation, separate residences with shops to the and at the point where the corner begins ground floor, including Savage’s family to curve, the pilasters have been doubled- butcher shop. The whole building was up, with a narrow band of foliate carving later occupied by Tuttles. situated between them. Alternate recessed and projecting vertical Constructed in red brick with stone brickwork to the parapet, alongside two dressings, Turret Buildings is of three horizontal stone bands, adds further storeys with a low parapet and dentil detail to the façade. To the east of this, eaves cornice. The ground floor the building extends for a further three comprises a series of shopfronts of bays at one storey in height. The varying architectural quality. The corner shopfront at this level is presently

a1/39 boarded, with only the low parapet visible above. This contains two horizontal stone bands.

To the north, the building extends for a further 14 bays, which comprises the original Tuttles department store. Although of similar design to the Turret buildings described above, the original Water Tower, Stradbroke Road Tuttles store contains less decorative architectural detailing, with a plain moulded eaves cornice and no foliate carved panels evident. The ground floor contains a series of shopfronts, retaining original slender pilasters and decorative spandrels. The southern six bays of the original Tuttles store are bounded to either side by double pilasters. They contain a casement window to the first floor and a hung sash to the second, both of which are square-headed. A Former Fishermen’s stringcourse is situated between the two Institute Library, Suffolk Road floors. Pilasters divide each bay at second-floor level, each resting on a stone corbel. The eight bays to the north of this contain a sash window to the first and second floors. Each bay is separated by a moulded brick pilaster at both first and second-floor level. Two double pilasters are also present. There is a further angled bay at the northwest corner. This contains a canted bay window to the first and second floors. 9 Surrey Street Water Tower, Stradbroke Road Reinforced concrete water tower, constructed in the early 20th century. The structure is circular in plan, with a central cylindrical tower with small, narrow windows. This is surrounded by a ring of tall, semi-circular archways, supporting the circular water storage tank above. The tower forms a prominent feature in the townscape, and is now surmounted by numerous mobile 13 Surrey Street phone masts.

a1/40 Former Fishermen's Institute Library, and cornice. Above the door, at first- Suffolk Road floor level, is a single hung sash window. Presently forming part of Godfrey’s This is held within a fluted window Department Store, the former surround with floral keystone. The door Fisherman’s Institute Library is of two is flanked to either side by a continuous storeys and three bays, and was canted bay window, which rises to first- constructed in the late 19th century. It is floor level. These contain floral - constructed of gault brick, with red brick keystones, and decorative glazed tiles dressings and a pitched slate roof and between the two floor levels. Both bay dentil cornice. At ground-floor level, a windows are surmounted by a plain panelled double-door is situated to the pediment. east within a semi-circular archway, with semi-circular overlight above. A three- 13 Surrey Street light segmental headed window is Constructed in the late 19th century, 13 situated to the west of this, with a Surrey Street is built in gault brick with a foundation stone set beneath. This is pitched roof and single end ridge flanked by a semi-circular headed chimney to the west. Forming part of a window. All three openings to the terrace of varied construction, it is of ground floor have red brick lintels and three storeys and two bays with a dentil are set within a blind colonnade. The cornice. The brickwork to each bay colonnade contains engaged Doric breaks forward slightly. The door, with columns and supports a simple moulded rectangular overlight, is situated in the entablature. Three corbels – one set east bay, at ground-floor level. It is above each opening – provide additional housed under a decorative architrave, support to the entablature. Above, a with dentil cornice above. This is large semi-circular headed window is flanked to the west by a continuous situated centrally, with a smaller square- canted bay window to the ground and headed window to either side. All first floors. A single hung sash window openings have red brick lintels with with prominent projecting sill is located decorative keystones. There is a red above the door at first-floor level. This brick pilaster situated to either end of the retains a matching decorative architrave elevation. and dentil cornice, and is flanked by the canted bay window. Raised brick panels 9 Surrey Street are located between ground and first- Of two storeys and three bays, 9 Surrey floor level. The second floor contains Street is constructed in gault brick with a two segmental-headed sash windows. pitched concrete tile roof, two end ridge chimneys and a decorative dentil eaves 17 Surrey Street cornice. Dating to the late 19th century, Constructed in brick and painted, 17 it now forms the end property to a Surrey Street is a terraced property of terrace. Centrally located is a fielded two storeys and three bays. It is of late door with a semi-circular overlight above. 19th century date, with a pitched concrete Lettering within the overlight reads tile roof, single end ridge chimney to the ‘SURREY CHAMBERS’. The door is east and decorative dentil eaves cornice. housed within a decorative door The ground floor contains a door with surround, with engaged Corinthian overlight to the west, contained within a columns, and carved spandrels, keystone raised and moulded brick surround with

a1/41 dentil cornice. This is flanked to the east by a continuous canted bay window to the ground and first floor. This retains slender barley twist decoration to the window jambs and a dentil and carved cornice. A single hung sash window with similar decoration to the jambs is located above the door at first- floor level, with a stone reading ‘ALMA 17 Surrey Street VILLA’ to its immediate east. Coping to the gable ends projects above the roofline, and is supported to the main elevation on several courses of oversailing brickwork.

2 The Avenue Built in gault brick, 2 The Avenue is a two storey, three bay detached property, set within a large garden. Dating to the late 19th century, it has a hipped slate roof with two ridge chimneys and a 2 The Avenue timber dentil cornice. The ground floor contains a central doorway, with semi- circular overlight and classically-inspired door surround with foliate capitals, keystone and decorative cast ironwork over. The outer bays to either side contain a continuous canted bay window to the ground and first floors. These contain arch-headed hung sash windows, and display foliate capitals and decorative keystone decoration matching that to the door. The bay windows are 25-27 The Avenue surmounted by a low triangular roof. The southern bay rises to form a gable with simply moulded bargeboard.

25 & 27 The Avenue A pair of large semi-detached properties, 25-27 The Avenue is late Victorian in date. It is constructed in red brick with stone dressings, with a pitched slate roof and dentil and carved cornice. Two chimneys are located to either end of the building, with two further chimneys 29 The Avenue situated centrally. The two houses are arranged symmetrically, and are each of a1/42 three bays and two storeys with attic. casement window is situated at first-floor The door to each house is located within level, with a simple brick surround. The the central bay, and is set within a bay rises to form a tile-hung gable. The recessed porch with decorative stone southern bay contains a canted bay door surround including foliate capitals window rising through the ground and and keystone. Original stained glass is first floors, with hung tiles located retained in the door and surrounding between the two levels. The ground - glazed panels within the porch. A single floor contains hung sash windows and an semi-circular arched window is located egg and dart cornice, with casement above the door at first-floor level. windows to the first floor. Similar to the Foliate and floral brick and stonework is north bay, this bay forms a gable, which located below, to the side, and within the is tile hung. Both gables also contain spandrels of the window. The inner bay decorative timber bargeboards. There to each house contains a rectangular bay are two chimneys set within the south window to the ground and first floors. elevation. The hung sash windows within this contain margin glazing, and have simply 48 & 50 The Avenue styled stone lintels and mullions. That to Comprising a pair of large semi-detached the ground floor is surmounted by a houses, numbers 48 & 50 The Avenue carved stone pediment and cornice, with are constructed in gault brick with a carved stonework to either side. A pitched slate roof and two end chimneys. dormer window with mock timber Arranged symmetrically, each house is of framing to the gable is located above. two bays and two storeys with attic. The The outer bay to each property contains paired doors are situated centrally. a canted bay window to the ground and Originally both would have been set first floors, with detailing matching that within recessed semi-circular arched to the inner bay. A further dormer porches, but a secondary door has been window with mock timber framing is inserted into number 50, so that the door located above. now lies flush with the façade. The stone door surround is particularly finely 29 The Avenue executed, with decorated pilasters, Three bay, two storey detached property Corinthian capitals, and scroll console with attic. It is built in red brick, with brackets supporting an egg and dart and render to the first floor. Of early 20th dentil eaves cornice, with large ball finials century date, the door is located centrally above. A single hung sash window with within a semi-circular arched recessed margin-glazing, moulded sill and porchway with moulded brick voussoirs, keystone is located above each door at stone keystone and dentil cornice above. first-floor level. Each of the outer bays A single window with moulded terracotta contains a continuous rectangular bay sill is situated to the first floor, with a window to the ground and first floors, further large dormer window located housed beneath a hipped slate roof, and above. The northern bay projects with a dormer window is situated above. forward, with a narrow window located The dormer windows have mock timber- at first-floor level within the reveal. The framing and decorative bargeboards. bay contains a rectangular bay window to the ground floor, with turned timber Victoria House, Victoria Terrace balustrade to its top. A mullioned Located on the seafront, Victoria House

a1/43 forms a large detached late 19th century villa. Of four bays and three storeys, it is built in brick and painted with a hipped slate roof. Basement level is also partially exposed to the east, and fully exposed to the west. The seaward elevation, facing east, contains two continuous canted bay windows to the basement, ground and first floor, with a 48 & 50 The Avenue dentil cornice and decorative keystones. A balcony with elaborate cast iron balustrade is located at first-floor level, as well as a plaque reading ‘VICTORIA HOUSE’, located between the two bay windows. Two windows with raised brick surrounds are situated on the second floor. A stringcourse separates each floor, whilst a pilaster is located to either end of the elevation. These pilasters are rusticated to the ground floor, with foliate detail above. Detail of doors to 48 & 50 The Avenue The west elevation faces onto Victoria Terrace. The central two-storey portion of the façade projects to the west, and contains the main entrance, accessed via a flight of stone steps. It is housed within a large semi-circular arched opening with Corinthian capitals, a decorative keystone and dentil cornice over. Lettering to the overlight reads ‘VICTORIA HOUSE’, which is similarly carved into a plaque above the Victoria House, Victoria cornice. The door is flanked to either Terrace, West Elevation side by a small semi-circular arched window with keystone. Two semi- circular arched windows are located above this at first-floor level, with a low parapet with floral decoration and an egg and dart cornice surmounting the projection. To either side of the projection, a single square-headed window is located at basement, ground and first-floor level. The second floor contains four further square-headed Victoria Villas, Victoria windows. Pilasters matching those to Terrace, East Elevation the east are located to either end of the a1/44 elevation. A nautically-inspired boundary matching that to the neighbouring wall featuring large circular openings Victoria House survives to the west. partially survives to the west. Gates to Recreation Ground, Walmer Victoria Villas (Bedford House and Road Gresham House), Victoria Terrace Gates and associated wall constructed in Of four bays and three storeys with attic the 1920s as the boundary wall to the and basement, Victoria Villas forms a recreation ground on Walmer Road. The pair of semi-detached late 19th century design is comparable to that of the villas overlooking the seafront. The villas contemporary wall and gates to the are constructed of gault brick with North Denes Tennis Court. The double detailing in red brick (although the gate is of simple design, with plain, southern villa, ‘Gresham House’ has concrete gateposts. A short stretch of been painted) and have a hipped roof concrete block wall, with rectangular with concrete tiles and a modillion eaves openings to its top, extends to either side cornice. The seaward elevation, facing of the gateposts to meet two one-storey east, contains a continuous canted bay turret-like structures with tiled roofs. To window to each property rising through the outside of the turrets are two flat- ground and first-floor level, both roofed corrugated concrete structures surmounted by a cornice and decorative that adjoin two one-storey gatehouses cast iron rail. A single window with with pitched tiled roofs. These segmental-headed lintel and raised brick gatehouses form the outer extent of the surround is situated at second-floor level gateway, and are rendered in pebbledash. within each house, with semi-circular The gable to each fronts onto the road, headed dormer windows located within and contains a four-light window with the attic above. A stringcourse separates decorative hood mould to the ground the ground and first floors with pilasters floor. Above, a chequered brick and located to either end of the elevation. concrete design is contained within the Glazed tiles are also used immediately gable. A corrugated concrete wall below the stringcourse on both pilasters. extends to the north.

The west elevation contains paired doors Columbus Buildings, Waveney Road to the central two bays, which are Dating to early 20th century, the accessed via a short flight of steps. The Columbus Buildings are of three storeys doors are housed within large segmental with a dentil eaves cornice and high headed openings, with brick surrounds parapet. The ground and first floors are containing dentil cornicing and glazed tile brick-built, with contrasting coloured decoration. A square-headed window is tiling to the second floor and parapet. located at basement level, with a semi- The ground floor contains a single off- circular headed window flanking each centre door and seven modern casement door to the ground floor. At the upper windows. Two tiled piers are located to levels there are two segmental headed either end of the elevation. Above windows. Within each inner bay at attic ground-floor level, the elevation is level is a semi-circular headed window. formed of two separate halves, which are Pilasters matching those to the east are set at an oblique angle to each other. located to either end of the elevation. A The corner is supported on a further tiled nautically-inspired boundary wall pier. At the base to these two halves, a

a1/45 large plain frieze runs the length of the building, with lettering reading ‘COLUMBUS BUILDINGS’ situated centrally. Above, three raised sections of brick and tile divide the elevation into two. Each raised section comprises two pilasters, with a casement window set between them at both first and second- floor level. There are decorative panels Gates to Recreation Ground, Walmer Road of grey and green tilework within the parapet. The top of each pilaster is decorated with stylistic foliate motifs. Between these raised sections, each half of the elevation contains continuous fenestration to the first floor. The second floor forms a large, coloured, tile mural, depicting sailing ships at sea, possibly by Doulton and Co. of Lambeth. The parapet is of grey tile, with a moulded cornice.

Detail of Columbus 16 Waveney Road, (Fishermen's Buildings, Waveney Road Mission) The black, tarred elevation to 16 Waveney Road hides a well- proportioned elevation dating to the late 19th century, possibly designed by local architect W. J. Roberts. It is of two storeys and four bays. The ground floor contains a modern double door, set within a recessed porch, to the east. This is flanked to the west by three semi-circular headed windows with Columbus Buildings, decorative keystones. The first floor Waveney Road contains four square-headed windows. The roof is flat, and presently used as a roof terrace, with a metal railing to the front. The building is of particular importance as it represents an element of the social history of the docks. Used as a Fishermen’s Mission, the building retains a sign reflecting this usage above the main door. The sign, executed in mosaic, depicts a fisherman with a flag behind reading ‘ROYAL NATIONAL 16 Waveney Road MDSF’. a1/46 Appendix 2: Bibliography

Amos, J. (2006) Britain’s Human History Revealed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/ science/nature/5317762.stm Brooks, C.J. 1988, Peto's Lowestoft: A Souvenir Album. Jack Rose Old Lowestoft Society (Lowestoft)

Brooks, C.J. 1991, Lowestoft, Volume 1: A Portrait in Old Picture Postcards. S.B. Publications (Seaford)

Brooks, C.J. 1997, Railways Around Lowestoft 1847-1997: A Commemorative Album. Jack Rose Old Lowestoft Society (Lowestoft)

Burton, R. 1988, The East Suffolk Railway : an exploration in words and photographs of the East Suffolk countryside served by British Rail's east Suffolk line from Ipswich to Lowestoft. British Rail / Avon-Anglia (Weston- super-Mare)

Butcher, D. 1983, The Cliffhanger.Landscape and Fishing as elements in the History of Lowestoft. EARO/ North Suffolk Teachers’ Centre (Ely)

Butcher, D. ND2, Lowestoft Burning: The Fire of 1645. (Lowestoft)

Butcher, D. and Bunn, I. N.D. 80 High Street Lowestoft and its Neighbours to the North: an exercise in Pre-Industrial Urban Topography. (Lowestoft)

Butcher, D. 1995, ‘The Ocean’s Gift. Fishing in Lowestoft during the Pre Industrial Era, 1550-1750’ in Studies in East Anglian History 3, 11-33

Chambers, C.G. 1926, A Corner Of Suffolk, Notes Concerning Lowestoft and the Hundred of Mutford and Lothingland. Flood & Son (Lowestoft)

a2/1 Cherry, P. 1992, Victorian Lowestoft. (Privately published)

Clements, P. (ed. C.J. Brooks) 1994, Lowestoft : 200 Years a Seaside Resort. (Lowestoft)

Clements, P. (ed. C.J. Brooks) 1999, Lowestoft Through the Twentieth Century. (Lowestoft)

Craik, S. 1979, Lowestoft Through the Ages. Weathercock Press (Lowestoft)

Fisher, L. 1995, A Brief History of Lowestoft. Lowestoft Museum (Lowestoft)

Garrod, T. 1997, England's most Easterly Railway: 150 years of the Lowestoft-Norwich line. Railway Development Society (East Anglian Branch) (Lowestoft)

Higgins, D. 1987, The Beach Men. (Lavenham)

Jarvis, R.B. 2002, Fortress Lowestoft: Lowestoft at War, 1939-1945. Heritage Workshop Centre (Lowestoft)

Malster, R. 1982, Lowestoft. East Coast Port. Terence Dalton (Lavenham)

Malster, R. 1991, Lowestoft. A Pictorial History. Phillimore (Chichester)

Parkin, D. 2001, Lowestoft. A Photographic History of Your Town. Black Horse for WH Smith (Salisbury)

Phelps, H. (ed) 1994, Lowestoft to Southwold. The Old Photographs Series. Alan Sutton (Stroud)

Powell, M.L. 1952, Lowestoft Through the Ages. Printed for the Author by Flood & Son (Lowestoft)

Rose, J. 1981, Jack Rose’s Lowestoft. Panda Books (Lowestoft) a2/2 Rose, J. 1983, Jack Rose's Lowestoft Album. Panda Books (Lowestoft)

Rose, J. et al.1988, Jack Rose's Lowestoft Scrapbook. Edited by Dean Parkin and David Johnson. Tyndale & Panda Publishing (Lowestoft)

Rose, J. 1994, Jack Rose's Changing Lowestoft. Rushmere Publishing (Lowestoft)

Rose, J. 1998, Jack Rose's Lowestoft Picture Show. Rushmere Publishing (Lowestoft)

Rose, J. & Parkin, D. 1999, Lowestoft Then and Now. (Lowestoft)

Robb, I.G. 1999, A Century of Lowestoft. Sutton (Stroud)

Robb, I.G. 2000, Lowestoft Past and Present. Sutton (Stroud)

Robb, I.G. 2002, Images of Lowestoft: The Photographs of Christopher Wilson. Sutton (Stroud)

Robb, I. G. 2005, Lowestoft: A History and Celebration. Francis Frith Collection (Salisbury)

Steward, A.V. 1950, Lowestoft - Town Against the Sea. Jarrolds (Norwich)

Westgate, T. (ed) 1996, Eastern Daily Press - Images of Lowestoft. Breedon Books (Derby)

White, M.R. 2001, Greetings From Lowestoft. A Picture Book of Old Postcards and Photographs. Coastal Publications (Lowestoft)

White, M.R. 2002, Rails to the Coast East Anglian Seaside Stations, Sheds and Rail Links-Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Coastal Publications (Lowestoft) White, M.R. 2004, A Different Lowestoft.

a3/1 If you would like this document in a large print, other formats or in a language other than English, we will do our best to help. Please call the Design and Conservation team on 01502 523077 or email [email protected].

www.waveney.gov.uk

Design and Conservation Telephone: (01502) 523077 Fax: (01502) 514617 Email: [email protected]

Planning Telephone: (01502) 523047 Fax: (01502) 514617 Email: [email protected]

Building Control Telephone: (01502) 523044 Inspection answerphone: (01502) 500040 Fax: (01502) 514617 Email: [email protected] SOUTH LOWESTOFT Conservation Area

Management Plan Proposed Extensions to the South Lowestoft Conservation Area

a4/1 Appendix 4: Suggested Boundary smaller craft. These structures remain of Changes considerable significance to the townscape of South Lowestoft and A Sailor’s and Fishermen’s Bethel, continue to be enjoyed by visitors and Battery Green Road residents. They form an integral part of Extension of the conservation area the seafront and merit inclusion within boundary to include the Bethel on the conservation area. Battery Green Road. This is a well- detailed Victorian building, illustrative of E The Esplanade, Kirkley Cliff and the social history of the fishing industry Jubilee Parade of Lowestoft and would enhance the The Esplanade, Kirkley Cliff and Jubilee character of the conservation area. Parade adjoin the eastern boundary of the existing conservation area, B Number 60 to 76 London Road overlooking the south beach. The North (even numbers) Esplanade formed part of Peto’s original Inclusion of a series of imposing and scheme for South Lowestoft and was well-detailed late Victorian buildings. later extended along Kirkley Cliff with Despite some modern alteration, these the continued growth of the new town. structures are of considerable streetscape Jubilee Parade was laid out in the 1930s presence for their scale, design and detail. and included a number of integral They would form a positive addition to structures such as beach chalets and the conservation area. shelters. The Esplanade, Kirkley Cliff and Jubilee Parade are integral to the C 20 – 62 Denmark Road history, development and understanding The area of Denmark Road proposed for of South Lowestoft and will enhance the inclusion in the conservation area conservation area through their inclusion. comprises a series of substantial three- storey townhouses of individual design F 6-14 Mill Road and detailing. Some excellent 6-14 Mill Road represents a short terrace architectural detailing is preserved in of buildings running up the former line these buildings, despite some insensitive of the Kirkley Branch Railway. alteration. These buildings feature Comprising a corner pub and short prominently in views from the Inner terrace of houses, this area comprises Harbour and line a major road route into some of the early worker’s housing the town centre. Inclusion in the within the new development of South conservation area would enable the Lowestoft. Some architectural control of any future alterations and pretension is seen in the terrace, with the adjacent green space. pairing of buildings and the inclusion of a blind central window to give the D South Pier and South Basin appearance of a double-fronted house. The South Pier and South Basin This is a pleasant streetscape which developed from the early 19th century, retains much of its historic character and with the construction of the harbour. contrasts effectively with the large-scale Adapted from a breakwater to a buildings of London Road South. promenade, the South Pier provided one the key attractions for visitors, whilst the South Basin enabled the mooring of a4/2 Sailor’s and Fishermen’s Bethel, Battery Green Road

Townhouses on Denmark Road

Detail of Bay Window on Denmark Road

South Basin a4/3 G Union Place and Orchard constructed between 1969 and 1971. Terrace The practice were known for their school Union Place and Orchard Terrace are designs, and the building uses located to the rear of London Road construction methods developed South, accessible to vehicles only by a specifically by the architects. Clad in narrow lane off the main road. vertical cedar boarding with pyramidal Consisting of three narrow streets of roofs to the classrooms, the school is a terraced housing from the second half of rare example of successful modern the 19th century, these streetscapes are architecture within South Lowestoft. surprising within their townscape The adjacent building of Shaftsbury context, retaining a more rural character Court, although of little architectural due to the absence of road access and the significance occupies the former site of preservation of compact green front the Empire Hotel and enjoys a gardens. When constructed, Union Place prominent location within the was laid out on a triangular piece of land conservation area. within existing field boundaries. Two opposing terraces were laid out to either J Kensington Court, 390 – 406a side of the field with an open space left London Road South and 1-3 Pakefield between. This area was developed in the Road later 19th century with Orchard Terrace, This streetscape comprises a range of resulting in the dense and compact buildings of 19th and 20th century date character of this area. The inclusion of which merit inclusion in the conservation Union Place and Orchard Terrace within area for their streetscape presence. the conservation area would enable the Kensington Court, although of little future preservation of this area’s architectural distinction, represents a rare delightful character. example of 1960s architecture within London Road South. To the south this H Haley’s Court, London Road area includes Victorian townhouses, with South well-detailed features, which fit well with This is a modern building constructed the character of the surrounding within the historic streetscape of London conservation area. 1, 3a and 3 Pakefield Road South. Of historically sympathetic Road comprise a much altered 19th design and using design elements found century terrace which nevertheless adds elsewhere along this streetscape, the character and interest to the area. building sits comfortably within the conservation area and merits inclusion K Kirkley Cemetery and The within it. Avenue Kirkley Cemetery and the Avenue form a I St Mary’s Roman Catholic distinctive character area of benefit to the Primary School and Shaftesbury character of the designated area as a Court whole. Kirkley Cemetery was established St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary in the mid-19th century and extended in School and Shaftesbury Court form a the late 19th century. It remains in use large area between Kirkley Cliff Road today and comprises a peaceful and and Kirkley Cliff. Designed by Hans secluded open space close to the busy Fleck of Johns, Slater & Haward streetscape of London Road South. The Architects, Ipswich, the school was cemetery retains much of its historic

a4/4 character as gardens, these areas are characterised by seen in the broad, tree-lined streets, creating a sense presence of of space and seclusion. The buildings the paired comprise a mixture of 19th and 20th chapels and century architecture, of varied style and lychgate (all form, and some individual distinction. listed grade The inclusion of these areas within the II), designed conservation area would positively by J. L. enhance its character and enable the 1-3 Pakefield Road Clemence, preservation of the individual and mature trees character of this townscape. and Victorian gravestones. The cemetery is a significant space within South Lowestoft, reflecting the social history The Esplanade, of its looking North inhabitants and providing a continued association with the past.

The Avenue and the short stretch of London Road South Union Place represent the significant suburban expansion of Lowestoft from the late 19th century. Comprising large, mainly detached residences, set within Kirkley Cemetery substantial private a5/1 a5/2 If you would like this document in a large print, other formats or in a language other than English, we will do our best to help. Please call the Design and Conservation team on 01502 523077 or email [email protected].

www.waveney.gov.uk

Design and Conservation Telephone: (01502) 523077 Fax: (01502) 514617 Email: [email protected]

Planning Telephone: (01502) 523047 Fax: (01502) 514617 Email: [email protected]

Building Control Telephone: (01502) 523044 Inspection answerphone: (01502) 500040 Fax: (01502) 514617 Email: [email protected]