54,56, WEST CLIFF

A pair of townhouses, likely built in the early 1840s and subsequently altered, located at 54 and 56 West Cliff, Preston. They are now offices. The houses are constructed of red brick in a Flemish bond pattern, with sandstone dressings and a slate roof. Each house has a double-depth plan and is double-fronted. They have two storeys and an attic, and incorporate a basement. The facades are panelled, creating the impression of simple pilasters. A one-bay side wing is attached to the left end. The buildings feature a stone plinth, first-floor bands within the panelled bays, a small moulded frieze, and prominent projected eaves with plastered coving.

The slightly raised center of each house has a large doorway, accessed by three steps, with a stone doorcase featuring panelled square pilasters, a rosettes frieze, and a cornice with a blocking course. The doorways are accompanied by panelled doors with overlights; the overlight at No. 56 has margin panes. First-floor windows are 12-pane sashes with flat-arched heads. Ground-floor windows are recessed with panelled stone aprons, while those above have raised sills and plain reveals. No. 54 has a large, modern, continuous dormer in the roof, whereas No. 56 has two smaller dormers.

The left-hand wing, spanning two lower storeys, has a round-headed blind window on each floor. At either end of the range are ramped screen walls – the one on the right mirroring the blind window design, and both featuring doorways. The right-hand end wall of No. 54 includes a round-headed stair window with radiating glazing bars, visible from the rear. The rear of the buildings and their interiors have not been inspected.