88-96, FORE STREET

88-96 Fore Street is a house that has been converted into offices. It dates from the early 18th century and was raised in height in the early 19th century. The ground floor was remodeled in the early 20th century, featuring a mid-20th century shopfront. The building is constructed of dark plum red brick laid in Flemish bond, with cherry red brick dressings and a stuccoed rear elevation. It has a tiled roof with wide overhanging eaves supported by slender bracket modillions and a panelled soffit.

The exterior consists of three storeys and a seven-bay front, with a narrow central bay. On the first floor, there are six flush-set 12-pane sash windows beneath rubbed brick flat arches, with quoins in cherry red brick. A central fielded panel is set within a raised moulded border, topped with a moulded cornice band above the windows. The second floor also features six lower flush-set 12-pane sashes. The ground floor has been remodeled but retains remnants of the original continuous first-floor level moulded plat band visible at the extreme right and left. It includes wide plate-glass display windows between blue engineering brick piers, central plate glass doors, and a deep fascia above.

Originally, the ground floor was raised above a basement and featured sash windows, along with a bold pedimented doorcase located immediately to the right of the centre.

Inside, the building has been significantly altered, with the ground floor lowered to street level across the front range of a double-depth plan. The stair at the rear was renewed in the 1950s. The west and first-floor room has a double cyma wood cornice and window seats, but lacks shutters, and the fireplace has been removed. This room may have been the principal bedroom. There are no notable features visible on the second floor.