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Listing: 1750s
Pevsner: "Rock House, Old Hill, a five-bay brick house with a
pedimented doorway with Gothic surround".
Award: In 1974 the Civic Trust gave a Special Commendation
for the restoration and conversion of Rock House. The owner at the
time was L'Interieur (Contracts) Ltd., and others involved were Michael
Phillips of Phillips Cutler, Phillips Troy, architects; Norman W.
Whittall, structural consultant, James Bartlett, landscape consultant
and contractor, and H. Davis & Son Ltd., contractors. The Civic
Trust commented: "The House was built by Francis Smith around
1720-30. In the 1920 the Annexe was donated to the Roman Catholic
church for use as a chapel and community hall. By the time it was
bought by the present owner in 1970 the building had been left empty for
a couple of years, was extensively vandalised and nearly derelict.
With the aid of an Improvement Grant, and by the owner and his
colleagues doing much of the work themselves as a 'do-it-yourself
cooperative', the building has been restored, the house itself converted
into four flats and the annexe into a studio and display area for the
owners' interior design business".
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