49-63, FARGATE

This is a row of seven shops with offices above, built in 1890 and altered in the late 20th century. The building is constructed of ashlar stone with a steep, slate roof and several grouped coped stacks. It is designed in a Gothic Revival style.

The building is four storeys high, plus attics, and has a thirteen-window frontage which curves on a corner site. The windows are largely cross-mullioned casements. The first floor features a centrally-placed canted oriel window. To the left, there are six two-light windows, with the two leftmost windows being taller. To the right, there are four similar windows arranged in pairs, followed by another canted oriel window. The windows have round heads with carved tympana and decorated cornices above. The oriel windows have round-headed central lights with toplights and flanking lights. The second floor has similar window arrangements, with ten three-light round-headed windows, and flattened ogee hoodmoulds and finials intersecting the cornice. The four windows to the right are paired. The oriel windows are recessed, containing a round-headed two-light mullioned window and single round-headed lights on either side. The third floor mirrors the arrangement below, with six large three-light cross-mullioned windows to the left and four paired two-light windows to the right. The oriel windows have three-light windows with flanking lights. Above this is a carved frieze with bosses and animal figures. The attic floor is topped by a crenellated parapet, framing ten gable dormers. Each dormer features a two-light cross-mullioned, pointed arch window with plate tracery. The oriel windows have larger dormers with finials and flat-headed triple lancets fronted by canted pseudo-balconies with large segmental openings.

An entrance bay on the left side of the ground floor has a two-story round-arched recess, containing a three-light cross-mullioned window on each stage, with a panelled transom between them. Above this is a three-light window on the third floor, and a gabled dormer similar to the others, but without a balcony. The ground floor houses seven late 20th century shopfronts, featuring a blind arcaded balustrade with engaged octagonal shafts above. A small round-headed doorway is situated between the two shopfronts on the far right, above which is a blank round-headed window with decorated spandrels. The interior of the building was remodelled in the late 20th century.