house

Attached two-bay three-storey former house over raised basement, built c. 1815 as one of terrace of twelve (Nos. 4-15) within longer row of similar houses, with shared two-storey return to north end of rear. Now in office use. M-profile roof, hipped to north end, having brick parapet with moulded granite coping, shouldered rendered chimneystacks to south party wall with clay pots, and concealed rainwater goods. Flemish bond buff brick walling on painted masonry plinth course over rendered basement walling. Square-headed window openings with patent reveals and granite sills; and painted rendered surround to basement window in segmental-headed recess. Replacement timber sliding sash windows, eight-over-eight pane to basement with profiled horns, and six-over-six pane above; rear elevation has six-over-six pane timber sash windows, with round-headed window to north bay. Wrought-iron window-guards to top floor. Elliptical-headed doorway with painted moulded surround and stone doorcase comprising pro-style fluted Doric columns, entablature with laurel wreaths to frieze, decorative leaded fanlight and bolection-moulded two-panel timber door with beaded muntin and recent brass furniture. Shared granite-paved entrance platform with decorative cast-iron boot-scrape and two stages of five and five bull-nosed steps, flanked by decorative cast-iron railing. Street frontage bounded by decorative cast-iron railings on moulded granite plinth. Decorative wrought and cast-iron pedestrian gate piers. Single granite step to street. Plain square-headed doorway beneath entrance platform. Yard to rear, with modernized or rebuilt two-storey rubble stone mews building to lane.

No. 12 Herbert Place forms part of a cohesive late Georgian terrace of twenty-five houses (Nos. 4-24), set back from the Grand Canal above exposed basements. The historic form and architectural character of the terrace are largely well retained, with notable Greek Revival doorcases, decorative fanlights and good ironwork setting features. Forming part of a unified group lining the west bank of the Grand Canal, this terrace enhances this historic streetscape and contributes to the wider Georgian core of south Dublin. The survival of the original mews building to the rear, albeit modified, enhances the property. Originally built as a southward continuation of Warrington Place, the street was renamed following the accession of Sidney Herbert to his father's estates in 1827.