Numbers 1, 2 And 3 Attached To Rear Numbers 55 To 63 (Odd) And Attached Wall And Outhouses

Numbers 1, 2 and 3, which attach to the rear of numbers 55 to 63 (odd) on Hurst Street, along with an attached wall and outhouses, are a group of shops, offices, and flats. They were originally built as a court of houses in 1789 and have undergone alterations in the 19th and 20th centuries. The building is constructed of red brick, with sections painted and rendered, and has a Welsh slate roof with hipped corners and brick ridge stacks.

The front of the building on Inge Street presents a four-window facade. From the left, there is a 19th-century canted bay, followed by 16-pane sash windows, a 6-pane sash, and another 16-pane sash. The second floor has a blank space to the left, then three 8-pane sashes, and a small 2-light casement. The ground floor has 20th-century shop fronts, with a 20th-century window and door on the far right, and a central arched alley entrance with a cast-iron plaque inscribed 'Court 15'. The eaves feature brick dentil detailing.

The rear facade on Inge Street has three windows: a 6-pane sash, a 16-pane sash, and a 4-pane sash. The second floor has a 20th-century window, an 8-pane sash, and a 6-pane sash. The ground floor has doorways, a blocked window (formerly a bay), and two canted bay windows on wooden brackets, with sashes whose upper lights have glazing bars forming diamond patterns.

The front of the building on Hurst Street has a five-window range. From the left, there is a 20th-century wooden cross window, 16-pane sash, 16 pane sash, 4-pane sash, and 16-pane sash, the last four of which are under cambered moulded stucco arches, while the others are under brick cambered arches. The second floor has a 2-light casement, two 8-pane sashes, and two 2-light casements. The ground floor has 20th-century shop fronts. Brick dentilled eaves are also present here. The rear is largely blank, with a small window and archway.

Extending from the rear of the Hurst Street range is a high brick wall with lean-to outhouses and privies attached.

The interior of number 1 (rear) contains a staircase with a small section of Chinese fretwork balustrade (the rest is not visible) and a blocked fireplace with a dentilled cornice. Number 61/63 Hurst Street retains two winder stairs and original room divisions and doorways, although the rooms now interconnect. Number 55 Hurst Street has a winder stair. Other first-floor interiors were not inspected.

The building is known as Court No 15 and is reputed to be the last remaining example of back-to-back housing in the city. Historical records, including a 1789 lease and rate levy books, and a publication by C W Chalklin indicate the building’s origins.