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Latitude: 51.1414 / 51°8'28"N
Longitude: 0.2621 / 0°15'43"E
OS Eastings: 558339
OS Northings: 140444
OS Grid: TQ583404
Mapcode National: GBR MPS.736
Mapcode Global: VHHQD.HKFW
Plus Code: 9F3247R6+GR
Entry Name: Nos. 18 and 20 Newcomen Road
Listing Date: 20 January 2016
Grade: II
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1431339
ID on this website: 101431339
Location: St John's, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4
County: Kent
District: Tunbridge Wells
Electoral Ward/Division: St John's
Parish: Non Civil Parish
Built-Up Area: Royal Tunbridge Wells
Traditional County: Kent
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Kent
Church of England Parish: Tunbridge Wells St John
Church of England Diocese: Rochester
Tagged with: Building
A pair of model cottages built in 1847-8. Designed by the architect Henry Roberts in Tudor style for the Tunbridge Wells Branch of 'The Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes'.
A pair of model cottages, built in 1847-8. Designed by the architect Henry Roberts in Tudor style for the Tunbridge Wells Branch of 'The Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes'.
MATERIALS: of red brick in Flemish bond with vitrified headers, and with sandstone dressings. The slate roof has a central red brick chimneystack.
PLAN: a symmetrical T-shaped plan of one storey and attics with projecting front gables. This plan by Roberts is reproduced on page 134 of James Stephen Curl's 'The Life and Works of Henry Roberts 1803-1876 Architect' showing a front living room, side lobby with staircase, rear scullery with copper, pantry, WC and fuel storage on the ground floor, and three bedrooms to each cottage above.
EXTERIOR: two central full-height gables with three-light ground floor casement windows and two-light attic casements. There are two flanking entrances with C20 doors. No. 20 has a C20 porch.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
Nos. 2-28 Newcomen Road are a group of seven semi-detached pairs of Model Cottages designed by the architect and reformer Henry Roberts (1803-1871).
In 1844 Henry Roberts became Honorary Architect and later Vice-President of 'The Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes' with the patronage of Queen Victoria, the Prince Consort as President, Lord Ashley as Chairman and Lord Shaftesbury as original founder.
The Society formed a branch in Tunbridge Wells in 1847 and Henry Roberts was commissioned to build a row of model cottages along the south side of Newcomen Road. They are shown on the 1866 25 inch Ordnance Survey map.
The seven pairs of model cottages were built to three designs. For nos. 18-20 Newcomen Road the design was Roberts' Design no. 3 ''for a pair of labourers cottages adapted to agricultural districts''.
Nos. 18-20 Newcomen Road are a pair of Tudor-style model cottages built between 1847-48, designed by the architect and social reformer Henry Roberts for the Tunbridge Wells Branch of 'The Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes', are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: two storey, semi-detached, Tudor-style cottages for agricultural labourers in Roberts' Design no. 3 which became prototypes for later working class housing elsewhere;
* Date: the scheme commenced in 1847 and is now the earliest of Roberts' projects for SICLC to survive;
* Rarity of type: only five other commissions by Roberts for SICLC survive, including both flats and houses, and all have been statutorily listed;
* Innovation: some cottages were constructed using Roberts' hollow bricks, patented in 1849. The three bedroom agricultural workers' cottages, with four heated rooms and internal WCs, were very advanced for their date and the attention to ventilation, sound construction and sanitation had a strong influence on later public housing;
* Group value: a group of semi-detached cottages which between them include 3 of Roberts' designs for SICLC.
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