The houses on either side of Honeysuckle Street sit in contrast to one another. On the northern side of the street are the townhouses, and they represent the peak of modernity. The houses opposite, on the southern side of the street, reflect the gradients and slow development in housing and urban development across centuries.
Next, Hamish passed Miss Delaney’s large palatial villa, which was clad in white stucco and fronted by Doric columns. It appeared almost garish next to the earthy brown brick and stone of the Abberton house. He refrained from allowing his gaze to linger on Number 4, and, instead, turned his sights towards home. From his vantage, and without Number 6, the Ashlar façade and cheap brick of the Dalton house was dwarfed by Number 10, the four-story sandstone villa that sheltered behind a high wrought iron fence. His grace’s home sat aloof from the rest of the street, much like the young man who had become a duke before his sixth birthday.
-A Beginner's Guide to Scandal
Number 2
Odette Delaney’s Italian Palladian Villa
The entire area that now forms Honeysuckle Street and the neighbouring park was once part of a bigger estate. But it was not the duke’s house that was central, but the Italian Palladian that is now Number 2, Honeysuckle Street.
The Italian Palladian style is best reflected in Chiswick House, which still stands to this day. It was an inspiration for the architect of Number 2, who drew on the imposing doric columns, gable and elegant staircases in making the slightly smaller, but no less beautiful, villa that in 1724 when it was built dominated the rolling parkland around it. This is not a home for living, but a house as a performance—the display of elegant classicism to those on the street below, but also, the interior is dominated by hallways for hanging artworks, alcoves for admiring sculptures and a ballroom for singing, and dancing, and ostentatious displays of wealth.
Number 4
In 1840, Albert Abberton purchased a dilapidated house on the street. He had it demolished, and in its place, built a stone and brick cottage.
No need for stucco or facing, or even ornamentation—Number 4 is a home that is proud of its handmade brick, hand hewn stone and hand carved door. Leadlight windows were made by an artist and friend, and the Honeysuckle planted in the front garden climbs the walls as if embracing the earthiness of the materials. Number 4 is as warm inside as it is outside—the entrance leads into a dining room, and further down the hallway, a parlour for meeting with friends.
Upstairs is the preserve of the family, with bedrooms, offices, libraries and quiet spaces for connection away from the rumble of the world. On this level, Albert set aside a playroom for his adopted daughter, which later became her office. Filled with sunshine, this is her favourite room, from childhood through to adulthood.
Number 6
Speculation, dodgy builders and scammers—the eighteenth century was riddled with them. And unfortunately for the 6th Duke of Osborne, that is the type of builder he engaged to construct three houses on his estate. The houses were intended as investments to be leased out with the hopes of supplementing the family coffers (depleted because of his gambling habit). Initially, the well to do clamoured to be neighbours with a duke. But over time, brick disintegrated, flourishes fell, steps creaked.
Hefty maintenance costs took their toll, and the houses stopped being profitable. In 1838, the 7th Duke decided to rationalise the estates investments. The houses were sold at a discount rate, and the once noble house crossed its fingers that respectable members of society would purchase them. The closest house was bought by an Earl. The furthest house by a man of trade. The middle house by a mysterious woman of unknown character who put out food for stray cats.
Number 8
Purchased by Earl Dalton in 1838, the original house was quickly demolished and a new townhouse built.
The Earl dreamed of a London residence that would provide respectability and connection, and what better a location than next door to a duke that was influential in parliament? With dreams of impressing, Earl Dalton engaged a builder who could provide the family with a home to incite awe in the visitors that would be sure to seek out their company. The only problem? The Dalton coffers could not extend to anything so lavish, so instead, the house at Number 8 was built to a design from a pattern book and faced with ashlar.
For many years, the ashlar—a thin, decorative facing over cheap brick intended to mimic stone—held firm against the inspection of the world. But when, in 1871, Number 6 was demolished, the thin facing was exposed to the world.
Number 10
Built in 1780, the sandstone four story villa was the second of the Honeysuckle Street houses to be built, although at the time, there was no Honeysuckle Street. A long driveway connected the house to the main thoroughfare and created a division between the workers cottages and the mansion.
The ducal townhouse evokes the stalwart confidence of an aristocracy that assumed its dominance would never fade. Sandstone walls, a portico for the carriage and large glass windows flaunted the ‘window tax’ and asserted the Osborne dukedom as a power to be reckoned with.