The house at 283 Papanui Road in Christchurch was constructed in circa 1925 by architect Edward Herbert England as his own home. With its distinctive half-timbered first floor, it has architectural and aesthetic significance for its mid-1920s Elizabethan Revival design.

Edward (Eddie) England became a partner in the well-known architectural practice of England Brothers in 1906. After his brother Robert’s death in 1908, Eddie continued the practice and developed a reputation as a designer of large Domestic Revival houses. He appears to have established a pattern of designing houses in a speculative manner, living in them for a few years before selling. In 1920 Eddie built a house at 236 Papanui Road (List No. 1885) for himself, and in circa 1925 he then built the house at 283 Papanui Road for his next short-term residence.

The two-storeyed, multi-gabled house at 283 Papanui Road is part of a precinct of large architecturally designed early twentieth century houses on Papanui Road that contribute to the streetscape. The house sits on a rectangular section fronting the west side of Papanui Road, behind a medium height fence with integrated hedge. It has a brick ground floor, half-timbered roughcast first floor and slate roof.

England sold the house in February 1928 to James Catherwood, a retired farmer. After his death in 1934, Catherwood’s widow Margaret remained in the house until around 1944. Between 1944 and 1960 the property was owned by Eileen Wiltshire, wife of company director, Thomas Wiltshire, and then in 1964 Brian Hill, a wool buyer bought the house. The house has had numerous additions and alterations over the years. A single storeyed annex was added to the rear of the house in the 1960s and this was later altered by adding a second storey. The house was purchased by the current owners in the mid 1970s. In 1982 a large single storeyed wing, enclosing a spa pool and games room was added on a diagonal to the main axis of the house. In 1985 a garage and attic space above was added on the south side. In 2001-2, the ground floor kitchen was enlarged through the addition of a single storeyed addition on the north-west elevation. Repair to the house following damage caused during the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010-11 has included replacing all of the double brick exterior walls with timber framing supporting a brick veneer, removing two upstairs fireplaces and installing a replica chimney on the street façade.