135-147, Duke Street

This is a terrace of houses, including a shop and offices, dating from the late 18th century and developed incrementally in the early to mid-19th century, with 20th-century alterations and remodelling. The building is constructed of brown/buff brick with painted stone dressings, an eaves cornice, broad ridge chimney stacks, and a slate roof. The terrace follows a linear plan along a gently sloping frontage.

The terrace comprises seven dwellings arranged over three storeys above basements. Although sharing a common eaves line, variations in window head and sill levels reflect the phased development of the site. Number 135 has been altered to incorporate a shop at ground floor level, and number 147 is now used as offices. Each house generally has two windows to each storey, with the upper floor windows being smaller than those below. Numbers 137 to 143 each have two windows to the ground floor, with blind walling above the doorways. Numbers 145 and 147 are narrower, with a single ground floor window to the side of the doorway, and window openings above. Numbers 135 and 137 appear to be the earliest houses; number 137 retains a late 18th-century doorcase featuring a semi-circular overlight, open pediment, and a flight of five stone steps. The ground floor of number 135 was remodelled in the late 19th century, creating a shop front with stall riser, pilasters, a four-light display window and a signboard. Window openings throughout the terrace have wedge lintels and projecting sills. Original two-over-two pane sash windows are present in numbers 135, 137, 139 and 141, while numbers 143, 145 and 147 have replacement frames of various designs within original openings.

The interiors have not been inspected.

Numbers 135 and 137 are shown on Horwood's map of 1803. This terrace of dwellings possesses group value as a late 18th and early 19th century group forming part of a significant historic street frontage within the Duke Street Conservation area. They represent a range of dwelling types that characterize the evolution of residential areas near Liverpool’s earliest enclosed dock, strongly contributing to the area’s distinctive character and appearance.