40 And 42, Devonshire Place

A pair of houses dating to circa 1850, likely designed by Charles Reed, are situated on the north side of Devonshire Place in Claughton, Birkenhead. Constructed of brick with stone dressings and a Welsh slate roof, the houses were built according to a double-depth, two-room plan with side entrances.

The buildings are two storeys and symmetrical, featuring four bays. They possess full-height, canted bays on the exterior, incorporating sash windows and remnants of a cast iron balcony on the first floor. An entablature tops the façade and carries a cartouche. The central bay has a full-height, pedimented gable, detailed with pilasters, and a tripartite window on the ground floor. A 12-pane sash window sits above this, accompanied by a cast iron balcony. Renewed doorways are present on the side elevation. The building has overhanging eaves.

These houses were part of the initial development of Claughton, planned by Charles Reed for Sir William Jackson and beginning around 1844.