Survey Data

Reg No

50930157


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Architectural, Artistic


Original Use

House


In Use As

College


Date

1820 - 1840


Coordinates

316684, 233209


Date Recorded

25/09/2015


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Terraced two-bay four-storey over basement former townhouse, built c. 1830, as part of a group comprising Nos. 34-41. Two-stage return to rear (east). Now in use as school. M-profiled roof concealed by brick parapet with granite coping. Rendered chimneystacks to south party wall with lipped yellow clay pots. Parapet gutters with cast-ion hopper and downpipe breaking through to south end. Brown brick walling laid in Flemish bond, rusticated ashlar granite walling to ground floor with granite plinth course over tooled ashlar limestone walling to basement. Square-headed window openings with brick voussoirs, patent reveals and masonry sills; granite surrounds to basement opening and rusticated granite to ground floor. Largely six-over-six timber sliding sash windows with convex horns; three-over-three to third floor, eight-over-eight to basement. Wrought-iron guard rails to second floor, decorative cast-iron balconettes to first floor and steel grille to basement. Round-headed door opening with moulded reveals and recessed surround containing panelled frieze and moulded cornice carried on half-fluted Doric columns over plinth stops, with spoked fanlight and raised-and-field timber panelled door with beaded-muntin and brass furniture. Shared granite entrance platform, with cast-iron boot scraper, approached by five nosed granite steps, flanked by iron railings to south with decorative arrow-headed finials on granite plinth, enclosing basement well. Coal-hole cover to pavement.

Appraisal

A fine former townhouse, built by Benjamin Norwood as part a cohesive terrace comprising Nos. 34-41 (50930099-5 & 156-8). It is distinguished from the other terraces on the street by the rusticated granite treatment across ground floor level. According to Casey (2005) the terrace retains noteworthy interiors, 'Inside, copious ovolo and guilloche ornament, Temple of the Winds columns to the room on the first stair return and Parthenon frieze overdoors.' The overall character of No. 40 with is Doric doorcase, fanlight and cast-iron balconettted is largely retained . The development of Fitzwilliam Street Upper began on the north-end of the western side during the early-nineteenth century. Although largely homogeneous in character and form, the subtle variations between the terraces are indicative of the speculative nature of development.