1-7, Constitution Hill B19

Nos 1 to 7 Constitution Hill is a building constructed in 1896, designed as works and offices for H B Sale by architects William Doubleday and Shaw. It sits on a narrow triangular site at the junction with Hampton Street. The building has four storeys with dark red brick elevations that are dressed with terracotta. A striking feature of the design is the five-storey circular tower at the apex of the site, which is faced in red terracotta. The upper floors are corbelled out from the base and are richly decorated with ornamental forms that culminate in a galleried cupola, reflecting a transitional Spanish Romanesque style reminiscent of Salamanca and Zamora.

The first floor features shafted windows, bold ogee arches, and drips on the second floor. Between the second and third floors, there is lush floral decoration in a style similar to that of architect Henry Hobson Richardson, showcasing the initials of H B Gale in large, flowing letters. Medieval heads project from roundel plaques in the spandrels of the first-floor window arches. The side elevations with swept gables display lively fenestration, primarily following a tripartite theme: segmental arcading for ground floor windows and doors, groups of two and three-light windows with lobed-shaped over arches on the first floor, and round-arched galleried windows on the upper floors. The parapet is heightened between the gables on Hampton Street. Overall, the building commands a prominent position in the townscape.