47 And 48 (Cumberland House), Britannia Square

WORCESTER

SO8455NE BRITANNIA SQUARE 620-1/8/103 (North side) 22/5/54 Nos.47 AND 48 Cumberland House (No.48)

GV II

2 semi-detached houses. c1820 with later additions and alterations. Painted stucco over brick with hipped slate roof. Re-built brick ridge stacks with oversailing detail and pots. Single-depth, T-shaped plan. Right-house (No.48) is double-fronted. Asymmetrically divided, left-house is 2-window range, right-house is 4-window range (2:1:1). 3 storeys and cellar. 6 first-floor windows. Stucco detailing includes plain plinth, pilasters to front corners and flanking entrance to right-house, frieze with inset panels; Doric-style porch to right-house; stucco inscribed to represent ashlar. Second-floor windows are 3/3 sashes, otherwise 6/6; all in plain reveals with sills. 2 steps to entrance of No.48 to right of elevation, 6-panel door, bottom pair of panels flush double-beaded, upper panels raised and fielded with bolection moulding; panelled reveals (4 panels per side, all flush double-beaded); petal design fanlight with very slender glazing bars. Covered passage at left of elevation has matching 6-panel door to right-house. Entrance to left-house is in left return, 3-panel door, bottom pair of panels flush double-beaded, upper panel margin glazed; radial pattern fanlight; narrow reeded architrave. Left and right returns have similar fenestration to front (west) elevation. INTERIORS: original features include panelled doors and shutters, ornamental plasterwork including cornices and ceiling centres; some fireplaces; staircases (that to right-house is open-well with wreathed and ramped handrail, square balusters except to ground-floor which are elaborate scroll design in cast-iron.

All the listed buildings in Britannia Square (qv) form a unified group, started in 1820 and planned around a large green in which the main house is placed ('Springfield', qv). Compares with similar, although smaller, developments in Worcester such as Lansdowne Crescent, Lark Hill, and Rainbow Hill Terrace (qqv). (Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Worcestershire: Harmondsworth: 1968-1985: 334).