Murrow House

End-of-terrace corner-sited two-bay by four-bay three-storey rendered house, built c. 1830, now in use as commercial premises. Shopfronts to west and south corners. One of a group of six. Pitched artificial slate roof, ashlar limestone corbelled chimneystacks, cast-iron gutters on eaves corbel course. Unpainted smooth-rendered ruled-and-lined walling, raised render quoins to west elevation, moulded ashlar limestone surround to pediment having acroteria with carved limestone urns, dressed limestone stone plinth to base. Square-headed window openings, moulded render surrounds to west elevation, moulded render corbelled hood mouldings to south elevation, limestone sills, painted timber sash windows six-over-six to first floor and one-over-one to second floor. Blind oculus in pediment tympanum, ashlar limestone architrave, hood moulding, splayed reveals. Two square-headed display windows to east of south elevation, moulded render corbelled hood mouldings, limestone sills, painted timber fixed lights c. 1990. Round-headed door opening to west elevation, pink granite colonnettes supporting rendered archivolt, limestone hood mould, prominent keystone detail, plain-glazed fanlight, painted timber panelled door. Painted timber shopfronts c. 2002. Street-fronted at corner of Teeling Street and Chapel Street.

This building was clearly built as part of a formally-planned, classically-detailed, set-piece, made rather clumsy by the curiously asymmetric layout and the stepping-up between properties dictated by the sloping nature of Teeling Street. Its close proximity to the courthouse opposite suggests the original use may have been as judges lodgings. It exhibits fine limestone detailing to pediment and urns, retains some original sash windows and has a well-crafted doorcase to the west elevation.