17 AND 19, LOWER BRIDGE STREET (See details for further address information)

This is a two-bay undercroft and town house, dating from the late medieval period with significant rebuilding in the early to mid-18th century, and further alterations in the 1970s. It is now used as two shops and town houses. The front is rendered on brick, with a grey slate roof that has been altered at the rear.

The exterior presents four storeys and two bays. The shop fronts are similar, with part-glazed doors and shop windows above stallrisers featuring rows of quatrefoils. They include central, intermediate and end pilasters and simple fascias. Each upper storey features two Gothick windows that retain the proportions of Georgian sash windows, although they now contain fixed lights and casements with cusped-arch glazing bars. There are painted stone sills to the second and fourth storeys, with a sillband to the third. A projecting boxed cornice on brackets and lateral chimneys are in an Italianate style.

The interior at street level is divided into two shops by a central wall, which likely corresponds to a former arcade of posts between the bays of the undercroft. The spacing of the heavy section cross-beams is the same in both shops. Some original cornices remain, although the walls have been clad. On the second storey, the former Row stallboard has been enclosed, and the Row walk is preserved as Unity Passage. This enclosure, forming a chamber, appears to date from the early 18th century. In 1894, a proposal was made to build cottages to the rear, and the rear courtyard, formerly Rock Court, was renamed Unity Place. Also in 1894, the owner rebuilt number 21 Lower Bridge Street (not included in this listing), and number 49 Bridge Street Row.

The former Row storey and the third and fourth storeys were not inspected but are stated to have revealed no features of special interest.