Amounderness House

PRESTON

SD5429NW LANCASTER ROAD 941-1/10/174 (West side) 27/09/79 Amounderness House (Formerly Listed as: LANCASTER ROAD (West side) Junior Crown Court)

GV II

Police station and magistrates' court, now used as courtrooms. 1857, enlarged 1901. By J.H.Park. Sandstone ashlar (red brick at rear), slate roofs. U-plan, formed by original block with rear wing to Earl Street, and addition on south side also with rear wing. Classical style. Two storeys (probably over cellars), plus 3-stage tower to the addition. The original range is a symmetrical 5-window composition, with a plinth, channelled rusticated ground floor, rusticated quoins to 1st floor, frieze inscribed "ERECTED BY THE CORPORATION A.D.1857 LAWRENCE SPENCER ESQUIRE MAYOR", prominent modillioned cornice and balustraded parapet with ball finials. The centre has a round-headed doorway with an architrave of coupled engaged Tuscan columns and prominent cornice, above this a window with pairs of panelled pilasters and consoles supporting a pediment with lamb and flag, and a round-headed upstand in the parapet with a shield. All the windows are sashed without glazing bars, those at 1st floor paired under cornices on consoles. The 2-window right-hand return is in matching style. The wing continued to the rear is of heavily rusticated rock-faced masonry, 5 windows, mostly round-headed and those at ground floor barred, but the end bay has a square headed doorway and window above both with cornices; and beyond this is a lower 2-storey 5-window cell-block with small semicircular windows at ground floor and round-headed windows above, all with grills. The 1901 addition fronting Lancaster Road is in similar style, but longer, articulated 3:2:1:2 windows, the square tower rising one stage higher, with a prominent cornice and balustraded parapet, and openings at ground and 1st floors framed by coupled blocked columns. INTERIOR not inspected.

Listing NGR: SD5403629564