31 AND 32, GEORGE STREET (See details for further address information)

31 and 32 George Street are early 19th-century cluster houses built after 1803 by William Strutt in collaboration with Bage of Shrewsbury. These houses are believed to be the oldest surviving examples of this particular housing type, which was later replicated in various locations worldwide. The innovative design features a single block divided both north/south and east/west to create four back-to-back houses. Each block is situated in the center of a large plot, with the northern two houses facing one street and the southern houses facing another. Although eight blocks or 'Clusters' were originally planned, only five were constructed, intended for mill foremen and managerial staff.

The houses are built from coursed stone with a slate roof that slopes down the hillside, featuring end and center stacks. They are two and a half storeys high, with flanking two-storey, one-bay recessed wings. Each house has one window and a small ground floor window to the left of the door. Originally, there were skylights and attic windows in the gable ends. The windows are sash style with stone lintels, and the doors have voussoirs and cambered arches. The internal layout includes a living room and kitchen separated by an inside coal house and cellar stairs. Some modifications and additions have been made to several houses, and there are coursed stone rubble garden walls surrounding the properties.