house

End of terrace pair of former houses comprising one three-bay (no.17) and one two-bay (no.16) three-storey over basement houses, built c.1800, now in use as offices. Pitched M-profile roof to no.16, pitched roof to front and flat roof to rear to no.17, having parapet to front (north-east) elevation with cut granite capping. Rendered chimneystacks. Some cast-iron rainwater goods. Brown brick walls laid in Flemish bond having cut granite plinth course over rendered walls to basement. Rendered north-west gable. Square-headed window openings having patent reveals and cut granite sills. Wrought-iron balconette to one third floor window of no.16. Six-over-six pane timber sash windows, six-over-three timber sash window to basement of no.16. Replacement uPVC windows to first and second floor of no.17. Round-arched door openings having painted render surrounds with engaged Ionic columns supporting plain frieze and cornice. Plain fanlights. Cut granite steps to entrance platforms. Basement areas enclosed from pavement and entrance platform by cut granite plinth wall with cast-iron railings. Access to basement area of no.16 from pavement level by recent metal stairs.

This terrace makes an important contribution to the streetscape of Berkeley Street. It retains early fabric including structural brickwork, sash windows and matching decorative door surrounds, all typical of the Georgian idiom. Berkeley Street was laid out in the late eighteenth century by the Gardiner Estate. It was to be an arterial route leading to Gardiner's ambitious yet unrealised Royal Circus, planned for the north-west end of Eccles Street and Berkeley Road.