4-10, ABBEY STREET

Nos. 4-10 Abbey Street is a row of four small town houses built between 1826 and 1828 for Mr. Thomas, who was the sub-lessor of land owned by Rev. James Thomas Law. The houses are constructed of brown brick in Flemish bond with a grey slate roof.

The exterior features cellars and three storeys. There is a painted sandstone plinth and stone steps leading to the doors, which have six margined panels and overlights glazed with a pattern of convex lozenges on saltires, all set in timber cases with fluted pilasters, plain friezes, and cornice hoods. The painted stone sills and wedge lintels complement the recessed sashes: each house has one 16-pane sash on the first storey, two sashes on the second storey, and two 9-pane sashes on the third storey. A painted stone cornice runs along the top, and there are two chimneys on the west gable, along with three chimneys before the ridge and three behind it. The west gable-end has miscellaneous fenestration.

At the rear, there are single-storey monopitch-roofed outshuts, with 12-pane flush sashes on the second storey and 9-pane flush sashes on the third storey. Notably, the window in No. 10 has had its glazing bars removed from the lower leaf. There is also a late 19th-century second storey window on the east gable end, which projects from the wall and is supported by brick corbelling.

The interior has not been inspected. Historically, Prebendary J.T. Law, who lived at Nos. 1 and 2 Abbey Square, developed this site, which was previously occupied by his stables, despite the disapproval of the Dean and the majority of the Chapter.