Numbers 35 And 36 And Attached Area Railings At Front

Pair of houses, with attached area railings at front; now hostel and offices. Circa 1840, possibly designed by G T Andrews.

Built in mottled brick with Flemish bond on the front elevation and English garden wall bond at the rear, the buildings feature giant pilasters in contrasting grey-white brick on both fronts. The dressings are painted stone at front and red brick at rear, with painted timber doorcases and a slate roof with brick stacks at each end.

The front elevation comprises basement and two storeys with attics in the two centre bays. Eight bays are arranged in a 3:2:3 pattern, with the two centre bays projecting beneath a pediment with overhanging bracketed eaves on giant pilasters with moulded imposts. Flanking the central projection on each side is a doorcase of antae with moulded imposts and projecting cornice, with a front door of four sunk panels and divided overlight between side lights. The basement and ground floor window of the central projection is a three-light canted bay with four-pane sashes, beneath a bold cornice. Other windows are 12-pane sashes, some with original slender glazing bars, beneath flat arches of brick. The middle window to the right of the first floor is blind. The ground floor bay window has a raised sill band, returned at each end, with the outer windows having painted stone sills. A raised sill band runs beneath the first floor windows, with a raised attic band across the centre bays.

The rear elevation mirrors the front, comprising basement and two storeys with attics in the two centre bays and six bays arranged 2:2:2. The two centre bays are gabled and projecting as on the main front. To the right of the centre projection is a plain door with overlight, approached by a flight of steps with slender railings and shaped handrail. The left and right returns feature extruded chimney flues that join at first floor level to form a tall round arch.

Interior features include an open string staircase cantilevered from the first floor, rising from ground to second floor around a circular well lit by skylight, with turned bobbin balusters and a serpentine moulded handrail wreathed at the foot around a turned newel on a shaped curtail step. A winder stair of stone leads to the basement.

The basement retains a fireplace with pilaster jambs and moulded imposts in the kitchen, together with panelled shutters. On the ground floor, the front room to the left preserves an original fireplace, panelled shutters and a glass-fronted cupboard. The first floor contains three rooms: the front room to the left (now subdivided) has a plain marble fireplace with console cornice shelf and moulded cornice; the front room to the right has a plain fireplace with console cornice shelf and moulded cornice; and the rear room to the right has a plain fireplace and moulded cornice.

The second floor has a moulded cornice beneath the stairwell skylight. Some doors feature six raised and fielded panels, others four sunk panels. Three rooms retain original fireplaces. In the front room to the left, a corner cupboard with dentil cornice contains doors of four raised and fielded panels, fitted with scrolled painted metal hooks.

The attached area railings and standards are turned with pointed finials and raised on a low brick plinth with stone coping.