house — Merrion Square

Attached three-bay four-storey former house over basement, built 1767 as unequal pair with No. 28, and altered c. 1900, having flat-roofed two-storey addition to rear. Now in office use. Natural slate roof, pitched to front part, behind reconstructed red brick parapet with masonry coping, and rear having shared hipped roof to east and hipped roof to west. Shared brick chimneystacks to west party wall with yellow clay pots, and concealed rainwater goods. Flemish bond red brick walling, refaced to top floor, granite rusticated ground floor on splayed granite plinth, and painted rendered basement walling; brick walling to rear. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with painted rendered reveals, painted granite sills and timber sliding sash windows with horns, six-over-six pane to basement and one-over-pane to floors above; generally one-over-one pane and two-over-two pane to rear, with single three-over-three pane and single one-over-one pane to top floor, and with petal fanlight to round-headed stairs window. Full-width ornate cast-iron balcony to first floor, and wrought-iron guard-rails to second floor. Round-headed entrance doorway with carved sandstone doorcase having deep cavetto-moulded architrave with cable-moulding, vermiculated key block, plain fanlight, shouldered sandstone lintel cornice with foliate carvings and six-panel timber door with weatherboard and brass furniture. Door opens onto concrete platform bridging basement with two steps to street level. Basement area enclosed by wrought-iron railings with decorative wrought and cast-iron corner posts on moulded granite plinth. Separate entrance to masonry staircase and wrought-iron handrail accessing basement, and with timber panelled door providing internal access below bridged platform. Interior noted by Casey as retaining some original joinery and plasterwork, and good nineteenth-century decoration to large first floor rooms, entrance and stair halls. Rear of plot has carparking, recent three-storey brick-faced block with forecourt and brick boundary wall all shared with No. 26.