Survey Data
Reg No
50930148
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic
Original Use
House
In Use As
Office
Date
1815 - 1835
Coordinates
316469, 232824
Date Recorded
28/08/2015
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Attached two-bay four-storey over basement former townhouse, built c. 1825, as a pair with No. 19 (50930147). Two-stage return to rear (east) elevation. Now in use as office. M-profiled artificial slate roof, hipped to north, concealed by brick parapet with ashlar granite eaves, moulded granite coping and blocking course. Pair of shouldered rendered chimneystacks to south party wall with replacement clay pots. Red brick walling laid in Flemish bond with rusticated granite quoins to south side, rusticated ashlar granite walling to ground floor and ruled-and-lined rendered walls to basement beneath granite stringcourse. Smooth rendered walling to rear (east) elevation. Square-headed window openings with brick voussoirs, rendered reveals and masonry sills; raised granite surrounds to basement opening. Decorative iron balconettes to first floor openings, cast-iron guard rails to second floor and wrought-iron to third floor. Largely six-over-six timber sliding sash windows, possibly originals with some historic glass to lower floors, ten-over-ten to basement. Round-headed door opening with moulded rendered reveals and recessed surround with Greek-Doric portico having plain frieze and moulded cornice supported on fluted Doric columns, plain fanlight and timber panelled door with beaded-muntin. Shared granite entrance platform, approached by four bull-nosed granite steps and flanked by cast-iron railings with decorative arrow finials over granite plinth, enclosing basement well to south. Replacement mild-steel steps to basement with plainly detailed replacement door beneath entrance platform. Coal-hole cover to pavement. Replacement (or extensively remodelled) mews building to east plot, concealed behind rendered boundary wall on Lad Lane Upper with square-headed vehicular and pedestrian openings.
Appraisal
A fine Georgian-style former townhouse, characterised by restrained external detailing and well-balanced proportions. It retains noteworthy features including a Greek-Doric portico, iron balconettes and timber sash windows. The cast-iron railings and granite steps enrich and enhance its setting. Although the streetscape is largely cohesive in appearance, slight variations between the groups of houses on Fitzwilliam Place is illustrative of the incremental nature of speculative development during this period. Developed in conjunction with the east and south sides of Fitzwilliam Square, the eastern side of Fitzwilliam Place was completed by 1836, with the exception of five houses to the south-end which were built c. 1840.