house

Attached two-bay four-storey over basement former townhouse, built c. 1840, as a pair with Nos. 24 (50930152). Three-storey return and single-storey extension to rear (east) elevation. Now in office use. M-profiled roof, concealed by parapet with ashlar granite eaves, moulded granite cornice and blocking course. Shouldered brick chimneystacks to party walls with lipped yellow clay pots. Red brick walling laid in Flemish bond, horizontally-channelled ashlar granite strip-quoins to outer sides, with matching granite walling to ground floor; rendered walls to basement beneath granite stringcourse. Brown brick walling to rear (east) elevation. Square-headed window openings with brick voussoirs, patent reveals and largely replacement masonry sills; raised granite surrounds to basement opening. Decorative cast-iron balconettes to first floor openings, cast-iron guard rails to second and third floors, and cast-iron grille affixed to basement sills. Largely one-over-one replacement timber sliding sash windows with convex horns (diminishing in height), bipartite opening to basement with four-over-four sashes. Largely multi-paned timber sliding sashes to rear (east) elevation and return, with some Wyatt-style windows. Round-headed door opening with recessed surround, having nail-head panelled frieze and moulded cornice supported on Scamozzian-Ionic columns over plinth stops, with petal fanlight and timber panelled door having beaded-muntin. Granite entrance platform with cast-iron boot scrapers, approached by four bull-nosed granite steps and flanked by cast-iron railings with decorative finials over granite plinth, enclosing basement well to south. Replacement mild-steel steps to basement with plainly detailed replacement door beneath entrance platform. Coal-hole cover to pavement. Replacement (or substantially remodelled) mews building to rear plot, concealed by replacement boundary wall lining Wilton Terrace.

A fine pair of townhouses, Nos. 23-4 are characterised by grand proportions and Scamozzian-Ionic doorcases. Developed in conjunction with the east and south sides of Fitzwilliam Square, the eastern side of Fitzwilliam Place was completed by 1836, with the exception of five houses to the south-end, including this pair, which were built c. 1840. Although the street is largely homogeneous in character, the variations in detailing, proportions and scale are indicative of the speculative nature of development.