Site of late 19th century house, 'The Towers', Heybridge (EHER 46205)

Now destroyed. The site of an Italianate concrete house with elaborate landscaped grounds built for the owner of Bentalls in 1873. It is described as modern and 'cutting edge' and had features such as underfloor heating and a plate warmer.

The owner of Bentalls built a home along Colchester Road (formerly Broad Street Green Road) in 1873. It was an Italianate concrete house, designed by the Chelmsford architect Charles Pertwee. The house was very modern and ‘cutting edge’ with underfloor heating (D/B 3/14/81) and a highly equipped kitchen including designs for a gas roasting oven and a plate warmer. Many of the plans for the water systems supply survive revealing that the garden included its own water tower, presumably to be able to supply water to the vinery, cucumber and melon houses. It included an aviary and fishpond. There was also lawn tennis and a garden room. It became a convalescent house in 1928 and was later demolished. The Lodge house, gate and gate piers to the Towers survive (EHER 38264). <1> NRHE data transfer: September 1976. Field survey. 'The Towers' has been demolished and a modern housing estate now covers the area. <2>