Bradford Estate Precinct
Bradford Avenue and Stoke Avenue and Cotham Road KEW, BOROONDARA CITY
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Statement of Significance
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Bradford Estate Precinct - Physical Description 1
The Bradford Estate Precinct at 1-19 and 2-20 Bradford Avenue, 12 Stoke Avenue, and 365 Cotham Road, Kew, is a collection of interwar houses of high-quality design, some of particularly impressive appearance and substantial size. A block of cream brick flats built to an unusual design in the late interwar period occupies 2 Bradford Avenue.
Bradford Avenue is a straight-aligned street that extends the length of the Precinct, north from Cotham Road. It has generous mown-lawn nature strips with concrete footpaths, and is lined with medium-sized deciduous trees (Robinia pseudoacacia). The trees are of more recent date than the subdivision and housing stock. The allotment sizes are generous, although irregular; the eight allotments on the east side have a wider street frontage than the ten allotments on the west side. The allotments at the north and south ends were larger again, including no. 365 Cotham Road and no. 12 Stoke Avenue.
The houses have mixed setbacks, but all are of sufficient depth to include a garden setting, a number of gardens with some trees and shrubs of long standing.
The physical survey and building permit records demonstrate a number of houses have been subject to alterations and additions. Some alterations and additions have been sympathetically designed and integrated into original structures, or are not visible from the street, while others are clearly visible from the street. In spite of such changes, the overall character of the street is one of high integrity.
Some of the first houses to be built in the precinct were the double-storey houses at 12 Stoke Avenue (originally addressing Bradford Avenue), built 1919, and 365 Cotham Road, built by 1920. At the time they were built other houses existed (also then newly built) on both sides of Bradford Avenue but no evidence was found to confirm which houses these were.
Nos. 12 Stoke Avenue, 365 Cotham Road, and 14 and 18 Bradford Avenue are large and gracious brick dwellings which, stylistically, draw on sources and elements that reflect influences from the Federation Arts and Crafts style. Built in 1919-20 (12 Stoke Avenue and 365 Cotham Road) and between c.1926-30 (14 and 18 Bradford Avenue), the houses were all built in the early interwar period. The Federation Arts and Crafts style is a style that appeared late in the Federation period and flowed on into the interwar period.
Nos. 12 Stoke Avenue and 14 Bradford Avenue are similar in design, both feature large gabled roofs, (slate at 12 Stoke Avenue, terracotta tile at 14 Bradford Avenue), walls of clinker brick to sill height, with contrasting render above (roughcast render at 14 Bradford Avenue). Both feature prominent gables filled with wall-hung shingles, and first floor rooms contained in the roof space, timber eaves brackets. Tall roughcast rendered chimneys with contrasting brick tops. No. 365 Cotham Road also features a large and conspicuous terracotta tile gable roof, with striking tall roughcast rendered chimneys with contrasting brick banding. There are eyelid and gabled dormer windows to first floor rooms contained in the roof space. The gable ends facing Bradford Avenue (the principal facade) are filled with roughcast render and timber strapwork; facing Cotham Road the gabled are filled with wall-hung shingles. The walls are roughcast render with detailing in contrasting red brick including the foundations. The windows are timber framed with leadlight to the ground floor windows. A deep front verandah with three-arched loggia suggests the influence of the interwar Mediterranean architectural style. Approval was given for a brick fence at 365 Cotham Road in 1975 (BP 1807). The garden retains some trees and shrubs of long standing, including a cotoneaster and mature conifers.
No. 18 Bradford Avenue has large areas of wall-hung shingles, informally arranged windows, projecting timber window frames, timber sash and plate glass windows, and small paned upper windows. It has wide eaves with exposed roof timbers, tall chimneys, and a concrete tile hip roof. The front fence at no. 18 Bradford Avenue is original or early and makes a positive contribution to the streetscape character.
Stylistically, nos. 4 and 6 Bradford Avenue also reflect Federation Arts and Crafts influences. Both double-fronted double-storey brick houses were built by 1920, and have tile hip and half hipped roofs (terracotta at no. 4, concrete at no. 6). The walls are clinker brick to sill height (overpainted at no. 4) then smooth render, with gable ends filled with wall-hung shingles. Both have bay windows at ground floor level (splayed at no. 4), timber framed windows with small paned upper sash, and tall flat topped brick chimneys (overpainted and terracotta chimney pot at no. 4, tall tapered at no. 6). The entrance to no. 6 has a shingle roof supported on tapered columns. The carport (recent) at no. 4 follows the style of the house. The front fence at no. 4 is not original. The timber pergola at no. 6 is new but could follow an earlier design. No. 6 has no front fence.
Nos. 3, 13 and 15 Bradford Avenue are brick Bungalows, with terracotta tile transverse gable roofs. Stylistically, these houses draw on influences from Federation and interwar Bungalows; both styles were fashionable at the time in which these houses were built, the 1920s. The walls at no. 3 are weatherboard to sill height, roughcast above; and at nos. 13 and 15 the walls are red face brick. Characteristic features of their style are seen in the projecting timber windows, conspicuous roof planes, exposed roof timbers visible beneath the eaves, flat top chimneys (roughcast render with brick banding at no. 3, face brick at no. 13) and terracotta chimney pots. The gabled dormer windows to a room contained in the roof space (one at no. 3, a pair at no. 13) is also typical of the style, and in the Federation Bungalow style, as are the deep recessed porches (with plain curved timber frieze at No. 3). No. 3 has a pair of bay windows, one on either side of the entry porch. Nos. 13 and 15 have one curved bay with rows of four timber sash (no. 13) and timber casement (no. 15) windows, with leadlight upper panes at no. 13. No. 13 has a projecting, gabled porch, with shingle filled gable end, and ornamental timber frieze and timber bracket work on brick piers. Garden beds and plantings form a front 'fence' at no. 3; there is no built structure. The front fences at nos. 13 and 15 are not original, but sympathetic to the style of the house. No. 15 has alterations and additions.
No. 7 Bradford Avenue is a double-fronted red brick interwar Bungalow. The curved bay with group of five casement windows and geometric leadlight are typical of its style. The walls of the bay face brick with shingles above window head height. The gable roof has two conspicuous street facing gables, with the first floor room contained in the roof space. The front verandah has an ornamental timber frieze. A new carport with gabled hip roof partially conceals the view of the house from the street.
Nos. 8 and 10 Bradford Avenue, similar in design and architectural style, could have been built by the same designer/builder. Both are double-fronted single-storey brick houses, built in the interwar Mediterranean style. Characteristic features of the style include the timber sash windows with small paned upper window (with window shutters at no. 8, arched windows at no. 10), terracotta tile hip roof complemented by tall chimneys, flat capped. Both have deep verandahs with masonry balustrades, but of different designs. The rendered masonry front fence, mild steel gates, and concrete and lawn strip driveway at no. 10 are early or original. The high brick fence at no. 8 is not original.The double-storey house at no. 1 Bradford Avenue was built in 1927-28 and is a grander example of the interwar Mediterranean style, with walls of textured stucco and arched openings. No. 1 Bradford Avenue is included in the HO as an individually significant place (HO277). The front fence is of a design that is sympathetic to the architectural style. A building permit was issued for a front fence in 1968 (BP 982). A more comprehensive history and description of the house can be found in the citation for HO277.
Built on the site of an earlier house by 1942, the two-storey interwar Mediterranean brick flats at no. 2 Bradford Avenue comprise three interconnecting structures, approximately square in plan, offset from the boundaries by 45°. Each section is L-shaped in plan, giving the north elevation an exaggerated saw-tooth rhythm. The walls are cream brick, with horizontal banding in contrasting clinker brick to the foundations, balustrades, window sills and heads. The windows are timberframed sash, with small-paned upper sash. The small-paned windows, window shutters, wrought iron detailing to the upper balcony balustrades, and terracotta tile low-pitch hip roofs are characteristic of the interwar Mediterranean architectural style. The low brick front fence with flat topped square brick piers is original or early, built in the same cream brick with warm clinker brick detailing as the flat building. The three garages at the rear of the property are also designed in keeping with the house and retain their original doors. The concrete and lawn strip driveways are also original or early.Heritage Study and Grading
Boroondara - Municipal-Wide Heritage Gap Study Volume 4: Kew
Author: Context
Year: 2018
Grading: Local
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PARLINGTONVictorian Heritage Register H0731
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FROGNALLVictorian Heritage Register H0707
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ROSS HOUSE (KEW)Victorian Heritage Register H0202
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