12-18, HILLS ROAD

12 to 18 Hills Road is an early 19th-century terrace that was completely refronted between 1860 and 1865 by John Edlin, possibly with an added attic storey. The building is finished in stucco, with grooved detailing on the ground floor. It has four storeys and a basement, featuring thirteen bays. The windows are plain sash with elliptical heads on the first and second floors. There are doors located in the seventh, tenth, and thirteenth bays, with an additional door to the left of the first bay; the tenth bay has been converted into a window. Decorative elements include bracketed cills for the windows, a cast-iron balcony supported by heavy brackets on the first floor, and a prominent band on the second floor that projects on console brackets, forming keystones above each window. The upper floor windows have a similar treatment, with a heavy modillion cornice on the second floor and a lighter cornice at the parapet, while the roof is not visible from the street. A notable feature is the projecting terracotta heads with piers between the first floor windows, showcasing a vigorous Italianate style with four different designs. Nos 2 to 22 (even) form a group.