house

Terraced two-bay four-storey over basement former townhouse, built c. 1810, with two-storey return to rear (west). Now in use as offices. Pitched slate roof to east with irregular M-profile hipped slate roof to rear (west), concealed by brick parapet with granite coping. Shouldered rendered chimneystack to south party wall with octagonal yellow clay pots. Parapet gutters with uPVC hopper and downpipe to south end. Red brick walling laid in Flemish bond over rendered walling to basement beneath granite plinth course. Square-headed window openings with brick voussoirs, patent reveals and masonry sills. Timber sliding sash windows with convex horns; largely six-over-six, three-over-three to third floor and possibly original eight-over-eight to basement. Cast-iron balconettes to first floor and cast-iron grille to basement opening. Round-headed door opening with brick voussoirs, moulded reveals and recessed doorcase comprising fluted frieze and moulded cornice carried on Ionic columns over plinth stops, plain fanlight and decorative early-twentieth century timber door with moulded surrounds and ornate iron screens to glazed panels. Granite entrance platform with cast-iron boot scrapers, approached by four granite steps flanked by iron railings with decorative cast-iron corner posts over granite plinth enclosing basement to south-side. Coal-hole cover to pavement. Recent red brick two-storey mews building to rear.

No. 38 features an unusual early-twentieth century timber door with ornate Art Nouveau-style ironwork to the glazed panels. Although its staircase has been removed it forms part of a relatively intact imposing early-nineteenth century streetscape. Nos. 37-40 (50930278-75) were built by the Dixons. (Bryan, 2006) Almost all of the western side was completed between c. 1807-15. Laid out in 1791 by the surveyors J & P Roe, Fitzwilliam Square was the last of the city’s Georgian squares to be completed. Development was staggered, progressing slowly due to the French wars. Although largely homogenous in character and form, the subtle variations between terraces are indicative of the speculative nature of the square’s development.