23-27 Friar Lane

Twenty-three to twenty-seven Friar Lane comprises three adjoining houses of different dates, now converted to offices. The buildings consist of a pair of eighteenth-century red brick houses and a late-eighteenth-century stuccoed house, which were amalgamated in the second half of the twentieth century.

The pair of red brick houses is constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond with brick dressings and a tile-clad roof. It is three storeys high, spanning six bays, with a hipped roof topped by a heavy moulded cornice and a large brick chimneystack. The windows are set in segmental headed arched openings with reeded keystones. The ground-floor windows are six-over-six pane sashes; the first-floor windows in the last four bays are also six-over-six pane sashes, while those in the first two bays are eight-over-twelve pane sashes. The attic windows comprise four-over-eight pane sashes in the first three bays, followed by three-over-three pane sashes in the remaining bays. A pair of entrance doors in the central two bays are recessed under wide elliptical arches; the left door retains its original panelled door with sidelights and fanlight featuring radial glazing bars, whilst the right door has a double-leaf panelled door of later date.

The late-eighteenth-century house to the right is constructed of brick with a stucco render, painted white, and a slate-clad roof. It is three storeys and three bays, with a pitched roof behind a low parapet, a brick gable stack and an off-centre ridge stack. A painted plinth and cill courses mark the first and second floor levels, with a moulded eaves cornice and roughcast frieze above. The central entrance is set within a simply moulded door-case with a rectangular fanlight and small cornice. A further round-headed door with fanlight appears to the far right. The flanking bays have wide segmental headed window openings with small keystones and multi-pane sashes with side lights. The windows in the central bay above the front door are six-over-six pane sashes without side lights. Cast-iron downpipes with decorative hoppers appear to the left and right sides of the elevation.

The buildings occupy a corner position at the junction of New Street and Friar Lane. The north-eastern half of the red brick pair has a long rear projection, and two outbuildings stand to the rear of the stuccoed house.

The interiors have been modernised for office use, though original features remain and suspended ceilings may conceal other historic decorative elements. In the south-western half of the red brick pair, the principal staircase is a straight flight with two turned balusters per tread and moulded newel posts. The main reception room retains round-arched alcoves either side of a blocked fireplace. In the stuccoed house, the main entrance leads to a large lobby containing a handsome open well staircase with a closed string, turned balusters and square moulded newel posts. Panelled doors, skirting boards and ornate plasterwork to cornices remain throughout the building. A former safe room is lined with glazed white tiles and retains its secure door and a distinctive door handle in the form of a hand holding a scroll.