Survey Data

Reg No

50930125


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Architectural, Artistic


Original Use

House


In Use As

Office


Date

1800 - 1820


Coordinates

316563, 232994


Date Recorded

24/09/2015


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Attached two-bay four-storey over basement former townhouse, built c. 1810, likely as a pair with No. 13 (50930124). Two-stage return to rear (east). Now in use as offices. M-profiled slate roof, hipped to south, with terracotta ridge tiles, concealed by refaced brick parapet with granite coping. Shouldered rendered chimneystacks to north party wall with octagonal yellow clay pots. Parapet gutters. Red brick walling laid in Flemish bond over tooled ashlar limestone walling to basement beneath granite plinth course. Square-headed window openings with brick voussoirs, patent reveals and granite sills. Granite surrounds to basement. Bowed cast-iron balconettes to first floor openings and cast-iron grille affixed to basement opening. Multi-paned sliding timber sashes largely without horns; turn-of-the twentieth-century two-over-two sashes to ground floor, matching two-over-two timber casements to first floor, eight-over-eight to basement, six-over-six to second floor and three-over-three to third floor. Some Wyatt-style windows to rear (east) elevation. Round-headed door opening with brick voussoirs and reveals, recessed doorcase comprising; rendered engaged Ionic pilasters flanked by matching respond pilasters with prostyle portico on Ionic columns supporting panelled frieze and moulded cornice with decorative iron fanlight and moulded archivolt over raised-and-field timber panelled door. Granite entrance platform with cast-iron boot scraper approached by seven granite steps flanked by iron railings with decorative corner posts over granite plinth, enclosing basement to north-side. Coal-hole cover to pavement. Two-storey modern mews building to rear plot. Roughly coursed rubble limestone wall with brick coping lining to east plot on Lad Lane, pierced by vehicular entrance having steel gate carried on coursed and squared limestone piers.

Appraisal

Nos. 13-14 were the first houses to be erected on the east side of the square, in the period 1807-15 and characterised by very handsome doorcases. The vast majority of houses on the eastern side of the square were completed between 1816-22. Although largely homogeneous in character and form, the subtle variations between terraces are indicative of the speculative nature of the square’s development. Well-retained, No. 13 forms part of a relatively intact late-Georgian streetscape. Laid out in 1791 by the surveyors J & P Roe, Fitzwilliam Square was the last of the city’s Georgian squares to be completed. Development was staggered, progressing slowly until after the Napoleonic Wars.