Sunderland And South Shields Water Company Offices, With Steps, Walls And Railings

The building is a water company offices with attached steps, dwarf walls, and railings, constructed in 1907 by W & TR Milburn. It is built of Penrith red sandstone ashlar with a Lakeland slate roof and ashlar chimneys.

The three-storey building and basement has a symmetrical, eight-by-five window front on John Street, with the end bays projecting. A wide flight of steps with flanking wrought-iron railings leads to a panelled door recessed within an Ionic porch featuring a segmental pediment. The ground floor windows are round-headed with patterned glazing bars and elaborate keystones. The projecting end bays are distinguished by sashes with glazing bars set within corniced architraves, with smaller, similarly detailed sashes on the second floor. The inner bays are characterised by attached Tuscan columns and alternating pediments below the second-floor windows. An entablature, complete with a dentilled cornice and blocking course, projects over the end bays.

The return elevation to Borough Road incorporates projecting bays, creating a corner pavilion facing John Street. A large Ionic porch with a segmental pediment provides access to the Borough Road side. The ground floor features a prominent window in the left projection, four windows in the central section, and a window to the left of the porch. The windows mirror the John Street elevation's detailing, with added giant swagged canted pilasters, the central one wider and featuring a cartouche, to the four central bays.

Inside, a Baroque open-well staircase rises from the John Street entrance, incorporating a reception desk and a domed well light with high-relief swags and intertwined dolphins. The panelled board room features Ionic columns and pilasters, stucco wall panels, richly moulded beams to the panelled ceiling, an elaborate chimneypiece, and an overmantel.

The wrought-iron railings and dwarf walls flank the steps to the John Street entrance, continuing alongside the adjacent property at No. 27, and extending to Borough Road. The railings are spiked and feature patterned panels.