34-38, RATCLIFFE ROAD

718/0/10188 RATCLIFFE ROAD 20-JAN-03 34-38

II

Range of three attached houses. 1893; by Amos Hall of Leicester; No.38 extended late C20. Red brick in English bond and with stone dressings on north front. Steeply-pitched clay plain tile roof with coped gables. Large brick axial stacks with polygonal shafts. PLAN: Range of three large houses with symmetrical front facing gardens to south and rear elevation to north with small walled courtyard to road. Domestic free-style. EXTERIOR: 2 storey, attic and cellar. Almost symmetrical south garden front, the houses to left and right project with twin gables, the larger outer gables have large 2-storey brick polygonal bay windows with brick pilastered ground floor windows and 3-light windows above with raised centre lights in elliptically arched recesses. The attic windows above are shallow bows, the left replaced; the central house has recessed 2-bay front with elaborate composition of timber bay windows, the ground floor bowed with pedimented garden doors, the first floor with small panes and pedimented centre lights, the right with integral side-lights; two attic dormers in roof above with segmental pediments. Rear [north] gabled at centre with stone bands and stone window frames and small courtyard enclosed by tall brick wall with elliptial arched carriageway and round arch to pedestrian doorway. INTERIOR of No.36 has many original features including chimneypieces with eared moulded architraves, ceiling cornices and joinery such as panelled doors, butler's pantry cupboards and a fine open-well moulded string staircase with a heavy balustrade of turned balusters and square newels; 2-bay arcaded screen at foot of stairs. An interesting example a range of large late Victorian houses well designed in the Domestic free-style by a local architect. SOURCE: Buildings of England, p.264.