6 And 7, The Downs

These are a pair of early 19th-century houses, now used as offices, constructed with a timber frame and plaster finish. The two-storey buildings stand on a raised basement, with a projecting central section. The roof is slate-covered, gabled with wide eaves and a shallow, pediment-like gable above the projecting centre. A flat-topped painted timber verandah extends across the front, featuring square posts with capitals and a decorative fret balustrade. The first floor has a central serliana – a window arrangement with a central semi-circular headed window flanked by two rectangular windows – featuring metal casements with leaded lights. The recessed wings each contain similar casements. The raised first floor of the projecting centre is illuminated by two semi-circular headed windows. Each recessed wing has one early 19th-century doorcase, incorporating a flat hood, pilasters, and a panelled frieze, along with smaller serliana windows on the outer edges of the façade. Three substantial rendered stacks are visible on the ridge line, positioned at right angles to the front.