37 And 39, White Friars

A pair of townhouses dating to approximately 1800, altered subsequently and now partly forming an office with No. 41. The buildings have cellars of medieval origin. They are constructed of pale brown brick in Flemish bond to the front, with a grey slate roof running parallel to the street. The facades feature a painted stone plinth with a recessed boot-scraper. Each house has a door of two flush panels and three fielded panels, the top panel of No. 39 having been replaced. Simple doorcases with pediments on pilasters stand above the doors, with plain overlights—three panes to No. 39. The windows have painted stone sills and, where original, gauged brick heads. Repaired or replaced tripartite sash windows, some recessed and others flush, have had their glazing bars removed from the first storey. Cast-iron plates inscribed "SBP 1877" and "SMns P 1877" (referring to St Bridget's and St Martin's Parishes) are affixed to the front. The second storey has an inserted four-pane horned sash above the door, a tripartite sash replacing a former Venetian window to No. 37, and a Venetian window with bars removed except for the fanlight to No. 39. No. 37 has a probably inserted horned four-pane sash to the third storey, and both houses have replaced tripartite horned sashes of 3/9/3 panes, stone coping, gable panes, and chimneys.

The interior of No. 37 includes a cellar with a concrete floor, medieval sandstone within the front, east, and partially back walls, brick arched wine bins, a damaged stone stair, and oak beams, some of which are reused. The front room on the first storey has embrasure sub-panels. The open-string dogleg stair features shaped brackets, a newel chamfered towards the top, two stick balusters per step, and a swept rail. The front room on the second storey retains sub-panels, an architrave to the tripartite sash, and a cornice. The third storey lacks visible features of particular interest. No. 39’s cellar has walls of medieval coursed rubble sandstone, a stone stair, and oak beams, including one of medieval type, broad and shallow with birdsmouth double chamfers. The hall has a simple pilastered basket arch. The front room has a door of five fielded panels in an architrave, sub-panels, panelled shutters to the tripartite sash, a frieze, and a cornice. The open-string dogleg stair has shaped brackets, two stick balusters per step, and a swept rail. The front room on the second storey has doorway architraves, a vigorously expressed fireplace with reversed-taper pedestal pilasters, and a frieze and cornice. The stick balusters of the stair to the third storey are tapered. The remaining rooms on the third storey have no visible features of special interest.