11 Briton Hill Road is (was) a cedar clad wood-framed house in the American Craftsman style, a style which had resonance in Britain at a time when post first world war home construction was accelerating and many chalet bungalows associated with this style were being constructed. Whilst this house is of North American origin it is likely that the particular design was specifically for the UK market. Previous owners including the current one have informed the applicant that the house was constructed in kit form in Canada and shipped to England to be erected at the Ideal Home Exhibition. Evidence concerning the date of construction indicates that this would have been at one of the first two exhibitions following the resumption after the First World War from 1920. Ideal Home Exhibition catalogues for 1920 and 1921 are not available with the run of catalogues in the V&A Archives but we believe it must have been exhibited in one of these years. Following the exhibition the house was sold and re-erected on its current site, the construction being completed in 1922(1).
Sadly despite the local residents providing evidence to Historic England supported by the local councillors and our MP Chris Philp the building was demolished today, and will be replaced with something of little interest architecturally.
