Starkie House

Starkie House is a large town house, later used as offices, built in 1844 for James German, a barrister. It was altered at a later date. The house is constructed of red brick in a Flemish bond pattern, with sandstone dressings and a slate roof. It follows a double-depth, double-fronted plan with a rear extension to the right.

The two-storey house has a basement and attic, with four bays facing Winckley Square and three bays facing Starkie Street, the central bays of both projecting slightly. The facade is characterised by an ashlar basement, corner pilasters, interrupted horizontal bands on the first floor, a plain frieze, moulded cornice, and a blocking course. The Winckley Square facade has a doorway inserted into the third bay, with a modern pilastered architrave replacing a former porch, modern double doors, and an overlight with margin panes. A recessed sash window with a panelled apron is located to the left of the doorway (formerly matching the third bay). All the windows are sash windows without glazing bars and have gauged brick heads and raised sills. Windows in the outer bays have sill-tabs. There are three blocked cellar windows protected by replacement spear railings on a moulded stone plinth. Stone gable copings are present, and a chimney is located at the right-hand gable.

The centre of the Starkie Street facade features a large doorway altered to a window, framed by an Ionic doorcase with distyle in antis, a dentil cornice, a plain frieze, and a moulded cornice with a blocking course. Above this is a recessed window with a stone apron and a detached cornice on consoles. A round-headed attic window with radiating glazing bars sits above. The outer bays on the Starkie Street façade have window arrangements matching the front facade.

Internally, the house features a large basement, with one room furnished with stone shelves. A dog-legged main staircase runs along the central axis, featuring bifurcated ornamental cast-iron balusters and a running-vine frieze. A separate servants' staircase is located at the right-hand end, extending to a long service wing at the rear.