Registry Office

The Registry Office, located at No 22 Manor Row, was originally built as Poor Law Offices in 1877, designed by architects Andrews and Pepper. This building features a well-proportioned three-bay palazzo front facing Manor Row, but it extends significantly back on a deep site, showcasing more elaborately detailed elevations on its long side ranges.

It stands three storeys tall and is constructed from sandstone ashlar. The ground floor has a rusticated plinth and horizontal grooved rustication that continues to the quoin pilasters up to the second floor, where the walls are simply panelled. There are deeply moulded cornices above the ground and first floors, and a sill course at first floor level creates the appearance of an asphalt parapet. The eaves cornice, supported by deep modillion brackets, is broken forward over the quoin pilasters. The hipped slate roof features enriched Italianate chimney stacks positioned above the eaves on the sides.

The ground floor has plain segmental arched windows, while the first floor windows are surrounded by architraves with panelled aprons and prominent cornice hoods on console brackets, adorned with floral swags on the friezes. The central window is highlighted by a richly modelled aedicule surround topped with a segmental pediment that breaks the first floor cornice. The second floor windows have eared architrave surrounds.

The central entrance portal is flanked by pedestaled Corinthian columns and backed by pilasters, topped with a deeply moulded entablature. The broad spacing of the windows enhances the quality of the wall surface. The return elevations are more densely arranged but maintain similar detailing, with the bays divided in a 4:2:2 pattern by pilasters that echo the design of those on the front. A large canted bay on the first floor occupies two bays off centre. The front elevation effectively closes the vista of Upper Piccadilly.