house

Terraced five-bay three-storey over basement house with dormer attic, c.1800, with elliptical-headed carriageway to right ground floor, and two-bay two-storey return to south. Renovated with dormer attic added. Now in use as offices. Pitched roofs with replacement artificial slate, clay ridge tiles, rendered squat chimney stacks, rooflights, and cast-iron rainwater goods on rendered eaves having iron ties (replacement uPVC rainwater goods to rear (south) elevation on rendered eaves). Painted rendered, ruled and lined wall to front (north) elevation with unpainted replacement rendered walls to remainder. Square-headed window openings with cut-stone sills, six-over-six and three-over-three (top floor) timber sash windows having some two-over-two timber sash windows to return. Round-headed door opening with cut-limestone step, concave reveals leading to carved limestone surround, and timber panelled door having overlight. Elliptical-headed carriageway to right ground floor with tongue-and-groove timber panelled double doors. Interior with timber panelled shutters to window openings. Road fronted with sections of iron railings (incorporating bootscraper) to front on cut-limestone chamfered plinth.

A well-composed substantial house also known as Fiennes Court forming an elegant feature in William Street on account of the incorporation of Classically-derived proportions with openings diminishing in scale on each floor. Although now accommodating an alternative use the house has been very well maintained to present an early aspect with substantial quantities of the original fabric surviving intact both to the exterior and to the interior, thereby enhancing the positive impression made on the historic appeal of the streetscape. The house remains of additional importance for the historic connections with Robert Crane (d. 1858), founder member of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881), historian, and the Potter family.