3 And 4, William Street

Nos 3 and 4 William 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 example of this particular housing type, which was later replicated in many other locations around the world. The innovative design consists of one 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 two facing another. Although eight blocks or 'Clusters' were originally planned, only five were constructed. These houses were intended for mill foremen and managerial staff.

The buildings are made of coursed stone with a slate roof that slopes down the hillside, featuring end and center stacks. They are two and a half storeys tall, 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 feature voussoirs and cambered arches. The internal layout includes a living room and kitchen separated by an inside coal house and cellar stairs. There have been some modifications and additions to several of the houses, and there are coursed stone rubble garden walls surrounding the properties.