house

Terraced two-bay four-storey over basement former townhouse, built c. 1810, with two-stage return to rear (west). Now in use as offices. Pitched slate roof to east with irregular M-profile hipped slate roof to rear (west), concealed by brick parapet with granite coping. Shouldered rendered chimneystacks to party walls with lipped yellow clay pots, some replacements to south. Parapet gutters with cast-iron hopper and downpipe to south end. Red brick walling laid in Flemish bond over ruled-and-lined rendered walling to basement beneath granite plinth course. Square-headed window openings with brick voussoirs, masonry sills and timber sliding sash windows; one-over-one replacements to ground and first floors with ogee horns, six-over-six and three-over-three to second and third floor respectively (without horns, possibly originals), six-over-six to basement with ogee horns. Wrought-iron guard rails to second and third floor openings, cast-iron balconettes to first floor. Grille to basement opening. Round-headed door opening with brick voussoirs, moulded reveals and recessed doorcase comprising fluted frieze and moulded cornice carried on Ionic columns over plinth stops, plain fanlight and replacement timber panelled door. Possible iron awning arms flanking door opening and fixed to modified cornice. Granite entrance platform with cast-iron boot scrapers, approached by four granite steps flanked by iron railings with decorative cast-iron corner posts over granite plinth, enclosing basement to south-side. Coal-hole cover to pavement. Replacement two-storey mews building to rear plot. Rendered boundary wall on Laverty Court with round-headed vehicular opening.

This former townhouse forms part of a relatively intact imposing early-nineteenth century streetscape. Nos. 37-40 (50930278-75) were built by the Dixons. (Bryan, 2006) Almost all of the western side was completed between c. 1807-15. 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 due to the French wars. Although largely homogenous in character and form, the subtle variations between terraces are indicative of the speculative nature of the square’s development.