house — Merrion Square

Attached three-bay four-storey former house over basement, built c. 1790 apparently as one in terrace of seventeen, having bow to two western bays of rear elevation, multiple-bay two-storey return to third bay and single-storey addition to south of bow. Now in use as embassy. Pitched slate roof to front, behind brick parapet with granite coping, and two hipped roofs to rear perpendicular to street, larger over bow. Shouldered rendered chimneystack to west with clay pots. Flemish bond brown brick walls with granite plinth course over painted rendered walls to basement. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with rendered reveals and painted granite sills, carved granite block-and-start surrounds and wrought-iron grilles to basement. Timber sliding sash windows, front elevation having six-over-six pane to basement and replacement one-over-one pane elsewhere, rear having one-over-one pane windows, and taller return having varied arrangements. Decorative wrought-iron balconettes to first floor. Round-headed door opening with rendered linings, fluted frieze and cornice, engaged Ionic columns with respond pilasters flanking decorative leaded sidelights, cobweb fanlight in coved surround and eight-panel timber door. Granite platform with cast-iron boot-scrape and five bull-nosed granite steps. Wrought-iron railings enclosing basement area with decorative cast-iron posts on carved granite plinth. carparking to rear, with recent two-bay two-storey building on site of former mews house to Fitzwilliam Lane.