house

Terraced two-bay four-storey former townhouse over basement, built c. 1840, with two stage return to rear. Now in use as offices. M-profile slate roof, concealed by ashlar granite parapet with moulded cornice and coping, pair of brick chimneys to north and south party walls with clay pots, parapet gutters and cast-iron rainwater goods to rear. Coursed ashlar granite walling with rusticated granite to ground floor and coursed ashlar limestone walling to basement level, beneath granite stringcourse. Square-headed window openings with moulded lugged architraves, projecting granite sills and timber sash windows with horns; one-over-one to ground and first floor, six-over-six to second floor, three-over-three to third floor. Iron rails fixed to first floor reveals. Block-and-start granite surround to basement window, with metal grille affixed to sill and replacement ten-over-ten timber sash. Round-headed opening to principal (east) elevation with projecting carved stone Ionic columned entablature, replacement plain glass fanlight and twin-panelled timber beaded muntin door with brass furniture. Granite entrance platform accessed via three granite steps, cast-iron boot scraper retained. Original cast-iron railings to basement well affixed to granite plinth, recent steel steps to basement level. Coal-hole cover to pavement. Mews building to west rebuilt or remodelled and enlarged during recent decades, abutted to west by large office block.

This Georgian-style terraced former townhouse was built as one of a group of three with Nos. 37 & 39 (50930202 & 4). The principal façade is characterised by restrained detailing, vertical massing and well-balanced proportions. Coupled with the use of ashlar stone throughout, this group of three provides a contrast to the red brick elevations which dominate both sides of Fitzwilliam Place. Such variations between the groups of terraces is illustrative of the incremental nature of speculative development during this period of the nineteenth-century. The overall character of the terrace has been largely retained, despite the loss of historic fabric, including some original windows and fanlights. The boundary cast-iron railings and granite steps serve to further enhance the street setting. The integrity of the rear boundary walls and mews buildings has been degraded across some of the terrace, through a combination of incremental alterations and modern interventions.