Earl de Grey Public House

Public house, probably early-mid C19 with later alterations. Rendered brick with faience ground floor of circa 1913, slate roof. Three-storeys

PLAN: the pub's principal elevation faces on to Castle Street: the former Number 8 forms the two bays to the left, whilst the former Number 7 forms the two bays to the right. A heavily altered rear range and a 2003 extension that occupies the site of the former Number 6 are excluded from the listing.

EXTERIOR: although obscured by a modern security hoarding at the time of writing, the four-bay principal front (south) elevation facing Castle Street has a green faience ground floor with a moulded plinth and cornice, and a panelled stall riser. The bays are divided on the ground floor by Ionic pilasters set upon pedestals, with plain consoles above the capitals that support the cornice. The main entrance is set to the left of centre and consists of a panelled door with a surround that rises up to a swan-necked pediment incorporating a coat of arms and a festoon. Flanking the doorway are wide two-light windows with segment-headed lights, later vertical glazing bars, and plain modern glazing. An additional narrower doorway with a four-panel door, overlight and flanking pilasters exists to the far right of the ground floor. Above the windows and the secondary entrance are cream-coloured signage fascias; those above the windows have green faience relief lettering reading 'Earl de Grey', whilst that above the doorway is plain. Replaced two-over-two sash windows (boarded over externally) with moulded surrounds exist to the upper floors, along with a sill band to the second floor, and a dentilled eaves, all of which are painted black. Rising from the western end of the roof is a substantial chimneystack. Following the demolition of Number 6 in 1988 short brick buttresses have been added to support the pub's now-external east wall.

The pub's ground-floor faience continues around and across half of the left (west) gable-end return with two windows divided by a pilaster. The signage fascia panels above are plain. The left (northern) half of the gable end has window and ventilation openings of varying size.

A two-storey rear range, which has been subject to a sequence of substantial alterations and rebuilding, and a 2003 extension on the site of the former Number 6 are not of special interest and are excluded from the listing.

INTERIOR: the interior, which has been heavily altered throughout and contains no features of historic interest, is not of special interest and is excluded from the listing.