The Albany

WORCESTER

SO8455NE ALBANY TERRACE 620-1/8/5 (North side) 08/3/74 No.4 The Albany

GV II

Villa, now Doctors' surgeries. c1820-30 with later additions and alterations. Painted stucco over brick with hipped slate roof; brick end stack with oversailing courses to W end of main house, pair of ornate stucco internal stacks at E end in form of stylised crocus, Greco-Egyptian style; tall brick stack to rear range. Triple-depth plan with central hallway and later C19 single-storey brick service range to N. Entrance facade (E): 2 storeys, 3 first-floor windows. Stucco detailing includes plinth, full height clasping pilasters with incised Greek key decoration and incised stylised anthemion to splay capitals; horizontal rustication to ground- and first-floors; deep frieze with incised Greek key motif, moulded cornice. First-floor has 6/6 sashes, ground-floor has 4/4 sash windows with margin glazing within raised architraves with dentil frieze and pediment with acroteria; all in plain reveals and with sills. Central entrance, distyle porch has fluted columns with Egyptian style capitals and engaged Doric pilasters, Doric entablature and blocking course; 2 renewed steps to part-glazed door with margin lights in splay-eared architraves with moulded leaf and dart decoration (also to reveals) and crowning scrolls. Garden facade (S): 2 storeys, 4 first-floor windows (1:2:1). Projecting end bays. Stucco detailing includes similar pilaster to break forwards and horizontal rustication to centre; cornice as main facade. First-floor has 6/6 sashes. Ground-floor has outer tripartite windows, 4/4 with margin lights between 2/2 with fluted three-quarter columns with Egyptian-type capitals and end Doric pilasters surmounted by frieze with fleurons and dentils (some missing) and pediment with anthemion, acroteria and central wreath. To centre is a rectangular bay with tripartite window with 2/2 and 1/1 sashes and Doric pilasters between; 2/2 sashes to return; all windows horned. Some shutter hinges remain in situ. Dentil cornice with fleurons beneath and low parapet with copings. Rear: 6/6 sashes with flat arch over. INTERIOR: Noted as having original features including marble Regency fireplaces to ground floor, narrow open-well staircase with stick balusters and wreathed mahogany handrail, single-panel doors with Greek-key motif and Egyptian-style architraves, deep skirting with fleurons and panelled shutters. Embellished cornices throughout ground-floor; cornice to main room has acanthus leaf, grape and scroll decoration; plaster centre-piece to ceiling. HISTORICAL NOTE: Albany Terrace is situated at the N side of Britannia Square (qv) and forms part of one of Worcester's important Regency developments. A distinguished example of villa architecture, the detailing being unusually eclectic for this period. (Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Worcestershire: Harmondsworth: 1968-1985: 334).