Unity House

This List entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 26/07/2018

SE 3220 NE; 1/312

WESTGATE (south side), Unity House, 79-83 (odd)

GV

II

Shops, offices and meeting hall. 1901. Red brick with sandstone dressings, and slate roofs. West front, three storeys plus attic. Nine bays with 3-bay office to right. Off-centre entrance with segment arched opening and central curved keystone, plus stone brackets supporting a balcony. Ornate iron gates and overthrow. Either side are two plate-glass shop fronts, with pilasters between. Above to the right six, 2-light sashes and to the left two 2-light and a single 3-light segment headed casements. Above nine tall round-headed windows with wooden tracery and plain pilasters between topped by a moulded cornice, and two partly stepped gables. The roof is topped by the base of a former cupola. The 3-bay office to the right has a projecting centre, with to the left a segment headed carriage arch with plank doors, a 4-light segment headed casement and beyond a plank door with overlight. Above a central 4-light segment-headed windows with a similar 3-light window to the left, and a plain sash to the right. Above a central triple sash, with a double sash to the left and a single to the right. Above again a curved gable with a double casement. The north-west corner has an octagonal tower topped by a short spire. The north, front, in two sections. To the right a 3-bay gabled section with two plate-glass shop fronts, and above a 2-light segment-headed casement, flanked by 3-light similar windows. Then an ornate stone plaque inscribed "UNITY HALL", with above a pair of 4-light pointed arc windows with wooden tracery, within a single segment headed ogee arch. Above an elaborately moulded cornice and an ornate gabled with a small 2-light window. To the left a projecting octagonal turret with banded spire. The left section has two plate-glass shop fronts and above four segment-headed arches the central two containing 3-light casements, the outer two with pierced balconies and inner angled 2-light segment-headed windows. Above two central double sashes with either side pairs of angle sashes all with flat moulded heads. Deeply moulded cornice and hipped roof, with iron finials and connecting iron ridge piece. Interior has upper meeting hall with ornate wooden roof now obscured by a false ceiling.

Listing NGR: SE3297220706