37, 39 and 41, Lower Bridge Street

This is a substantial town house, originally built in 1717, and later extended with an 18th-century rear wing. It has undergone alterations in the 20th century and now serves as licensed premises and a shop. The building was commissioned for Elizabeth Booth and was formerly known as The County Library. It is constructed of rendered brick to the front, brown brick at the rear, and has a grey slate roof with a ridge running parallel to the street.

The building is arranged over a semi-basement and three storeys, with five windows to the front. Number 37 occupies the northern half of the semi-basement and operates as a shop. Number 39 comprises the upper three storeys, while Number 41 occupies the southern half of the semi-basement and functions as a wine bar. A symmetrical front elevation features four steps down to a northern forecourt and two steps down to a southern forecourt. The central entrance is accessed via a projecting Tuscan porch with seven repaired steps leading to a landing enclosed by curved wing walls of painted stone. A further four steps lead to the entrance itself. The shop and wine bar fronts have been renewed with small panes of glass. Rusticated quoins are visible. The main entrance door consists of six fielded panels. It is flanked by two flush eight-pane sash windows with apron sills and keystones. The second storey has five flush twelve-pane sashes with painted stone sills and keys. A cornice runs along the top of the building, with lateral chimneys. The rear fenestration was undergoing repair at the time of inspection in 1991.

Inside the semi-basement of Number 37 are two rough beams laid at right angles to the front. Number 41’s semi-basement features three stone walls parallel with the front, above which are large, almost square beams supporting the joists. A broad dogleg staircase, located north of the central hall, has an open string with carved brackets, three fluted balusters per step, and a swept rail. Further features noted include skirting, picture rail, and cornices in the north front room, six-panel doors, a cornice in the entrance hall, two basket arches, a closed-string back staircase with bulbous shafts and disc knops, altered back rooms, and a barrel-vaulted ballroom in the rear wing which was refloored in 1991. An ante-room connected to the ballroom has a panelled plaster ceiling. The second storey of the main block has round-arched doorways with keyed and imposted surrounds. The third storey contained no special features of interest. The ballroom has been altered, and some other features have been replaced. Features such as stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops were present.