Government House Flats And Boundary Walls

HARWICH

TM2632SW KING'S QUAY STREET 609-1/3/64 (South East side) 20/06/72 (Consecutive) Nos.1-7 (Consecutive) Government House Flats and boundary walls

GV II

Large house, now flats. Late C18 or early C19. Red-brown Flemish-bond brickwork and Welsh slate hipped roofs. PLAN: part 2-storey and part 3-storey with single-storey outhouse at NW corner. L-plan form with yard in internal angle, enclosed by high wall to King's Quay Street returning to enclosed garden to NE, behind St Helen's Green. EXTERIOR: main NE front has 2-storey elevation, with plain parapet, raised cornice band of Gault brick and 5-window range of double-hung sashes (12 panes) with stone sills and flat rubbed brick arches. The southernmost first-floor window is blind. Ground floor has C19 projecting, flat-roofed enclosed porch, standing on former platform with 2 lateral flights of stone steps. The original entrance now partially screened, has wide segmental rubbed brick arched window (Diocletian-type). Concealed by porch is 6-panel door with 4 flush panels and 2 glazed and narrow panelled side parts infilling wide opening. South-east elevation is of 3 storeys with dentilled brick eaves, box gutter. Second floor has 6 square double-hung sash windows with rubbed brick arches and 2 vertical glazing bars. Also two C20 small windows. First floor has 5 double-hung sash windows with rubbed brick arches and small panes. Ground floor has 3 double-hung sash windows with small panes, a contemporary door opening and 3 small windows. Lean-to 2-storey extension, off-centre on this front. NW elevation is similar to SE but has random placed double-hung sash windows and doors. Rendered 2-storey extension on NW corner of front range. Single-storey wash-house attached to NW corner with hipped roof with stump of stack and some clay pantiles and clay plain tiles. INTERIOR: now much subdivided but has well staircase, wreathed hardwood handrail, stick balusters and shaped tread ends. Many contemporary panelled doors, some with panelled architraves. Windows have internal folding shutters. Contemporary plaster cornices now interrupted by introduced partitions. C19 fireplace in first-floor flat with double mantel shelf and downward tapering pilasters. HISTORICAL NOTE: Robert Adam designed a castle-like house for this site in 1778 for local MP John Robinson. The present building bears little relation to this proposal and was possibly a more economical substitute. The abrupt change between 2 and 3 storeys at the east corner results in 2 upper floor windows with partition just behind glass and first floor concealed behind upper part of lower sash windows. This may be for purely visual reasons rather than remnant of earlier build.

Listing NGR: TM2602032803