Mason'S Buildings

Mason's Buildings is an office building dating to the 1870s. It is constructed of stone with a basement. The building is four storeys high, with a basement and attic, and has four bays. The basement is rusticated, and contains a 20th-century shop door and window. The ground floor features a Doric colonnade with red granite columns, the bases of which are obscured by a shop sign. The ground floor windows are round-headed, with carved cherubs and foliage. A projecting frieze and cornice sits above the columns. The first floor has segmental-headed windows with architraves and keystones. The frieze is decorated with lion masks and swags, topped by a cornice. The second floor features a Corinthian pilastrade with panelled pilasters. The windows on this floor are topped with tympana carved with reclining figures representing the seasons. A cornice sits above this level. The third floor windows have rounded upper corners, with a bracketed cornice displaying swags. The shaped gable is topped with a Diocletian window and scrolled side panels, displaying the lettering "MASON'S BUILDINGS" and a crest above. The rear facade is plainer but retains careful detailing.