Kit's Close

Kit's Closer is a Grade II listed 'Moderne' Detached house in Fawley, Buckinghamshire. Kit's Close was designed and built between 1936 and 1937, by Christopher Nicholson, for Dr. Warren Crowe.

Background

Connell was heavily influenced by the work of French Modernist architect Le Courbousier, and 'High&Over' is aggressively 'Moderne'<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3314399/The-century-makers-1929.html</ref>. It is listed as Grade II*, or “of more than special interest,” by the English Heritage organization, which notes the house is “of outstanding importance as the first truly convincing essay in the international style in England.”

In 1931, the news organisation British Pathé produced a short film about the High and Over home called 'The House of a Dream' (still available on the Pathe news site here). The documentary opines that: “for centuries houses have been built to meet the needs of each age. Today, we dream of houses open to sun and air, embodying everything that modern science can offer"<ref>http://www.britishpathe.com/video/the-house-of-a-dream</ref>.

The documentary describes the home as such: “for centuries houses have been built to meet the needs of each age. Today, we dream of houses open to sun and air, embodying everything that modern science can offer.” Here at Chimni, we love it because it is in a number of Poirot episodes (see below)!

Poirot In the Main Drawing Room

In 2010 the house was fully restored by the then owners, the designers Paolo Guidi and Katherina Harlow, who were quoted as saying High and Over has a large circular drive and a hexagonal central hall. A circular void in the hall ceiling, which Mr. Guidi calls the “ocular,” allows views of the first and second floors, and a small shallow fountain sits on the floor.

“The Ashmoles used to give great parties here and we were told people were always accidentally stepping into the fountain set into the floor of the hallway. When we had our own parties we discovered it was true.”<ref> http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/26/greathomesanddestinations/an-art-historians-modernist-gem.html?_r=1</ref>

Poirot & Other Media Coverage

Poirot In the Main Drawing Room

High & Over was used in a number of episodes of the ITV drama series 'Poirot'. It featured in Series 1, Episode 9 'King of Clubs' filmed in 1989, where it was used as the home of the character 'Henry Reedburn'<ref>http://www.tvlocations.net/kingclubs.htm</ref>. Played by David Swift 'Harry Reedburn' is the head of the Parade Film Studio entertaining starlet Valerie Saintclair' (played by Niamh Cusack) at High & Over, when his murdered body is discovered. Poirot is called upon once again!

See Also In Chimni

ChimniWiki Is My House 'Art Deco'?

Chimni Wiki Homes Used In Poirot Episodes

Chimni Wiki Page: Homes Used As TV & Movie Locations

Other Interesting Sites

Investigating Poirot - http://investigatingpoirot.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/episode-by-episode-murder-of-roger.html

British Listed Buildings http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-46657-kit-s-close-fawley-buckinghamshire#.V-LR6fkrJhE

References

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