Desmond House

Terraced three-bay two-storey over basement house, c.1790, retaining early fenestration with round-headed door opening to ground floor. Reroofed, c.1980. One of a pair. Gable-ended roof. Replacement fibre-cement slate, c.1980. Concrete ridge tiles. Stone chimney stacks (shared). Replacement aluminium rainwater goods, c.1980, on rendered eaves course retaining original cast-iron hopper and downpipe. Roughcast walls. Painted. Square-headed window openings. Stone sills. Early 6/6 timber sash windows with exposed sash boxes and crown glazing (fixed-pane window to right ground floor). Round-headed door opening. Timber panelled door. Overlight. Road fronted. Concrete flagged footpath to front.

This house, which dates to the earliest phase of construction on the planned Main Street and which was built as one of a pair of houses including the house immediately to left (south-west; 11803017/KD-05-03-17), has been very well-maintained to retain most of the original character and materials. The house is composed on an asymmetrical plan of graceful proportions and conveys the aspiration to sophisticated architectural forms that were an aim of the establishment of a planned estate town – an unusual trait, however, is the larger window opening to right ground floor, yet this is a feature that is shared in common with the second house in the pair, suggesting that it is an original feature. The house retains a number of important early or original features and materials, including multi-pane timber sash windows (having crown glazing and exposed sash boxes), together with the remains of cast-iron rainwater goods to the roof. The house is of particular importance for its age and contribution to the streetscape of Main Street, continuing the established streetline of the planned street, while contributing to the regular roofline of the terrace.