house

Terraced two-bay four-storey over basement former townhouse, built c. 1830, with full-height return to rear (east) elevation. Now in use as hotel. M-profile pitched roof, hidden behind ashlar granite parapet with moulded cornice and granite coping. Rendered chimneystacks to south party wall having granite cornices and yellow clay pots; parapet gutters. Flat roof to return. Red brick walls laid in Flemish bond, channelled granite walling to ground floor and painted walls to basement. Rendered walls to rear (east) elevation. Square-headed window openings with brick voussoirs, largely projecting granite sills, continuous granite sill course to first floor, cast-iron balconettes to third floor and second floors. Replacement six-over-six timber sliding sash windows with horns, three-over-six to third floor, uPVC and replacement timber casements to rear (east). Tripartite opening to basement of front (west) elevation, with panelled granite mullions, painted surrounds with deep granite lintel course and uPVC windows. Round-headed door opening with channelled granite reveals having cast-iron Scamozzian Ionic columns on plinth stops, supporting panelled frieze and cornice with plain glass fanlight. Panelled linings to recessed doorway with studded timber panelled door having brass furniture. Shared granite entrance platform with cast-iron boot scraper and nosed granite steps; flanked to south by cast-iron railings topped with anthemion finials, over carved granite plinth, enclosing basement well. Cast-iron coal hole cover to street (west). Interior contains egg-and-dart cornice, timber skirting board, projecting chimneybreast with lugged chimneypiece having pulvinated frieze and projecting mantle to front room, decorative plasterwork ceiling and cornice to entrance hall. Street-fronted, located on east side of Harcourt Street, abutted by matching terraces, Nos. 86-5 & 83 (50920235-6 & 8).

This former townhouse was built as part of a unified terrace of four, comprising Nos. 83-6 (50920238-5), the principal façade is granite faced at ground floor level and terminated at both ends by granite quoins. It retains a fine Scamozzian Ionic doorcase, balconettes and decorative cast-iron railings. The grand scale, confident use of materials and artistic detailing of this terraced group, makes this an imposing presence on what is a relatively intact streetscape of late-Georgian and early-Victorian townhouses. Casey (2005) notes that internally the rooms are very tall and grand with rich Greek Revival fibrous plaster decoration. Harcourt Street was opened 1777 by John Hatch, barrister and Seneschal of the Manor of St. Sepulchre. Development was sporadic until the late 1790s when Messrs Hatch, Wade and Whitten obtained approval from the Wide Street Commissioners for the further development of the street.