Hamilton High School

Corner-sited five-bay three-storey with attic and over basement former house, built c.1810, having pedimented three-bay central breakfront to front (west), and three-bay elevation to side (south). Now in use as school. Pitched slate roof with moulded eaves course, rendered chimneystack and cast-iron rainwater goods. Dressed sandstone walls with string courses at sill level first floor and with additional course below. Blind arch surrounding central first floor window. Diminishing square-headed window openings with tooled sandstone sills, having six-over-six pane timber sliding windows to ground and first floors, three-over-six to second floor and three-over-three to attic. Blind openings to southern-end, entrance front. Replacement two-over-two pane and timber casement windows to south elevation, with wrought-iron balconies to first floor. Segmental-headed door opening pilasters with fluted consoles flanking timber panelled door, surrounded by sidelights and fanlight, approached by flight of limestone steps. Cast-iron railings on plinths enclosing basement area.

This terrace of four was built by the Duke of Devonshire at the start on the nineteenth century, as part of a grand scheme for a planned square, which unfortunately was not executed. The terrace is testament to the high quality housing the Duke hoped to provide, while the square would clearly have been on a par with the imposing urban pieces found in the major cities. Though no longer in domestic use, the terrace retains much of its original character and is a significant addition to the town’s architectural heritage.