44-50, MARKET STREET

This is a terrace of four houses, located on Market Street in Lancaster. The buildings date from the mid-18th century and have been altered in the 19th and 20th centuries. They are constructed from squared coursed sandstone with ashlar dressings, and have slate roofs with chimney stacks between the party walls. The buildings are arranged with a double-depth plan, with staircases at the rear and a further extension to the rear. Each house originally had three floors above a cellar and three bays, topped by an eaves cornice. The first and second floor windows have simple surrounds and are sash windows, although those at No.46 are 20th-century top-hung casements. The top floor windows at Nos. 48 and 50 have shutter boxes, and the rear windows mostly have thick glazing bars. The ground floors are now occupied by modern shop fronts. A doorway leading to Music Room Passage, likely created in the late 18th century, pierces the right-hand bay of No. 44, providing access to Sun Street.