23, The Tything

No. 23, The Tything is a former offices and warehouse, constructed in 1907 and designed by J.W. Simpson and Maxwell Ayrton, with subsequent additions and alterations. It is built of red brick with cream-coloured stone dressings, and has a partially concealed slate roof to the right, with a coped parapet to the end gable. Stacks are positioned on both the left and right sides, featuring stone bands and capping. The main roofs are hidden behind parapets. Steel window frames are in place, along with wrought-iron railings to the basement windows.

The building occupies several burgage plots, with its main axis running at a right angle to the street. A central entrance is the focus of the principal (west) elevation, which displays a subtly asymmetrical facade reminiscent of Mackintosh. A gabled entrance bay is centrally positioned, flanked by parapeted wings, with the wing to the right projecting forward. Diminishing pilaster buttresses are positioned on either side of the central bay and wings. The building comprises two storeys with a semi-basement, and an attic storey is present in the centre and to the right. Five first-floor windows are visible. Stone detailing incorporates window surrounds with continuous sills, head, and intermediate bands, copings to the parapets, a door surround, and a carved panel to the balcony above. The apex of the central gable displays a cartouche and the date, with a row of three blind windows dividing the fenestration below.

A mullion and transom window in the centre bay has a semi-circular arched head, extending from the first floor to the attic floor, with three lights on each level. This is flanked at first-floor level by a canted oriel window, and a further four-light mullion window to the left wing, and a five-light mullion window to the right. The ground-floor windows are taller and the fenestration is similar, with two-light mullion windows flanking the entrance. Corbel brackets at their heads support the oriels above. The shorter basement windows align with the upper floors and are protected by simple square-section, scroll-topped railings. All the windows are multi-pane with narrow glazing bars. A recessed entrance is accessed by ten steps. The carved door surround features a spiral motif to the internal angles, and the corbelled balcony panel above is inscribed 'KAY & Co' with a lozenge on each side. An ashlar-lined vestibule is present, with a later plate-glass screen and doors leading to the rear. A large, canted, flat roof dormer with dentilled eaves is located centrally on the right wing, featuring paired side-hung casements on each face, with a further linked pair of small box dormers to the left wing, all partially concealed by a parapet.

The left (north) return elevation is very long, incorporating five shallow projecting bays, each surmounted by a gable and with a semi-circular headed window to the upper floor. The roof is concealed by a parapet. Decoration, pilaster buttresses, and fenestration are similar to the main elevation. The interior of the building has not been inspected. The building represents a fine example of Edwardian factory architecture, notable for its use of materials, abstracted detail, and compositional form.