Manor Road, 1, The Lees and Villa Maria, Brighton

Conservation Area (CA)

No CA

Local Listing Reference

LLHA0121

Description

Built on land formerly part of the Bristol Nurseries and forming part of the estate of the Marquis of Bristol. The site now includes two main buildings set within brick garden walls (walls assessed separately under Estate of the Marquis of Bristol, Bristol Gardens); comprising The Lees and Villa Maria. The Lees was built 1906 by Edward Goldie for the Reverent Superioress of St George’s Retreat in Burgess Hill. Built in a Domestic Revival style, it is of two storeys with attic. Pebble-dash rendered brick with stone, plaster and timber dressings and steep hipped slate roofs. Villa Maria was added between 1912 and 1931 as a further residential block to accompany the main building. It comprises a largely symmetrical three storey building echoing the domestic style of The Lees. The buildings were known successively as ‘St Augustine’s private house for ladies’, the ‘Sisters of Augustine’ and ‘St Augustine’s Nursing Home’ until it was acquired by Benedictine nuns in 1994. The site has been converted to residential use. Source: Historic England Designation report (not listed).

A. Architectural, Design and Artistic Interest

i. A good example of an early 20th century religious building. Villa Maria is of less architectural interest in itself, but forms a complementary part of the group.

iv. The Lees is an example of the work of Edward Goldie, who – as the practice Goldie and Child - is noted for his work on church, monastic and conventual buildings for the Roman Catholic Church. Many examples of their work are listed.

C. Townscape Interest

ii. Not within a conservation area, the buildings contribute positively to the streetscene

E. Rarity and Representativeness

ii. Representative of the presence of religious orders in Brighton; of which few buildings remain

F. Intactness

i. The buildings survive relatively intact

Date of Inclusion

Pre-2015