Numbers 5, 6 And 7 And Attached Railings, Walls And Gate Piers

Three houses, now converted to flats and a hotel. Built circa 1860. Stucco-faced with slate roof.

The three-storey buildings with attics and cellars present a composed townhouse facade facing north-west. The elevation is articulated by three sill bands, with ground-floor window cornices extended as a continuous band below a deeply-projecting bracketed timber eaves cornice. Windows throughout have segmental heads with sashes divided into large square panes; those to No.7 also incorporate margin panes.

Nos 5 and 6 form a mirrored symmetrical composition displaying 2-3-2 windows across the facade. The paired windows to the outer bays at ground and first floor level project forwards under a cornice. The three central windows on the first floor have semicircular heads, while at ground floor level these three central bays contain doorways flanking a central window forming part of No.6. The recessed doors have two over three panels with plain overlights topped by segmental heads. No.7 occupies the right end with two bays facing north-west, the right-hand ground-floor window having a raised surround with cornice. Nos 5 and 6 each feature two attic dormers with segmental tops, and No.7 has one such dormer. Chimneys rise at the left, right, and between the houses.

The right-hand return wall provides the entrance facade to No.7. Here the eaves cornice rises as a broken pediment above the central projecting section. The outer parts remain blank except for two storey bands and a round-headed fixed-light window to the left at ground floor and a corresponding blind recess to the right. On the first floor, three round-headed glazing bar sashes separated by pilasters with moulded archivolts occupy the centre. At second floor level, a round-headed window with a cornice hood on console brackets appears, with a small inserted window to its left. Within the broken pediment sits a round-headed attic window. At ground-floor level, a single-storey porch with plain moulded and dentilled cornice above the doorway and a blocking course frames the entrance. The overlight has margin panes, flanked by narrow round-headed sashed windows without glazing bars.

The south-east garden facades feature three-window bows to both No.5 and No.6, and a canted bay window to No.7, all rising two storeys above cellar level. Nos 6 and 7 each have a round-topped dormer, whilst No.5 carries two twentieth-century flat-roofed dormers.

On the north-west side, a deep basement area is enclosed by cast-iron railings upon a low stone coping. On the south-east side, plain railings link Nos 5 and 6 to a low wall of squared limestone with sandstone copings supporting cast-iron railings. The wall contains two pairs of ashlar gate piers with cast-iron gates. The piers are cylindrical above octagonal bases, featuring an annular groove beneath a cap carved to resemble a section of fluted Greek Doric column.

Nos 5, 6 and 7 Driffield Terrace form, together with Nos 1, 2 and 3, the two end blocks of an incomplete terrace development.