Buswell's Hotel

Attached two-bay four-storey former house over basement, built c. 1740, and modified c. 1820 and c. 1910 and having two-storey over basement half-round plan abutment to rear of western two-thirds. Now in use as hotel. M-profile slate roof, hipped to east end, behind rebuilt orange brick parapet; brown brick chimneystacks to west party wall and rendered chimneystack to east, both shared with adjoining buildings; and replacement uPVC downpipes. Flemish bond brown brick walling to front, rebuilt to top floor in orange brick over painted lined-and-ruled rendered walls to basement; rendered to rear. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with patent reveals, brick voussoirs and painted masonry sills. Timber casement windows to ground and first floors and timber sliding sash windows to upper floors, three-over-six pane to second floor and three-over-three pane to top floor. Round-headed door opening with stylized panelled pilasters, fish-scale scrolls having fluted entablature with lion's head medallions, scalloped archivolt with cast-iron batwing fanlight, and timber door with eight raised-and-fielded panels and brass door furniture. Granite paved platform over basement area, with restored wrought-iron railings having decorative cast-iron corner posts on replacement stone plinth. Internally amalgamated with Buswell's Hotel.

No. 27 Molesworth Street appears to date from the early to mid-eighteenth century, with the upper storey either added or rebuilt in the late nineteenth century. Despite some changes to the fenestration, possibly at the time it was merged with the neighbouring hotel, the detailing remains characteristic of the period and is particularly enhanced by a characterful late eighteenth-century doorcase with rather idiosyncratic scallop and fish-scale detailing. The building, along with its neighbour to the right, contributes to the well-preserved historic grain of Molesworth Street.