7, Castle Hill

This is a mid-18th century house, later converted into flats, located on Castle Hill, Lancaster. The exterior is built of coursed squared sandstone with an ashlar ground floor and dressings, and coursed rubble to the rear. The roof is stone slate, with gable chimneys. The building has a double-depth plan and originally included a staircase projection at the rear. It is three storeys plus an attic over a cellar and has four bays, though designed as if five. Notable features include raised quoins to the right, a band above the ground-floor windows, and another linking the lintels of the second-floor windows, all below an eaves cornice with slender iron brackets supporting the gutter. The return wall to the right has windows on each floor. The windows generally have raised surrounds and 12-pane sashes, except those to the right of the main door, which have tripartite stone surrounds with 20-pane sashes and blocked sidelights. An attic dormer has a sloping roof. The central doorway has a raised surround and a 12-panelled door. The rear of the building shows evidence of early alterations, including vertical joints indicating an original central projection containing a staircase lit by a two-stage window. Inside, a full-height dogleg staircase features a closed string, two turned balusters per tread, a moulded ramped handrail, fluted rectangular newels, and a wreathed curtail at the foot. The building was formerly known as the Castle Temperance Hotel until 1950.