17, Littleport Street

This is an early 18th century house, later altered around 1860, now used as a residential home for the elderly. The building was shortened on its front facade in the 19th century, with an east wing and a rear wing added at that time. It is constructed of brick, with machine tile roofing to the main front section, pantiles to the west block, and slate to the rear wing. The facade originally had five bays, but was reduced to four in the 19th century, with the central bay projecting forward. The house has two storeys and a dormer attic. A mid-19th century gault-brick gabled porch with side lights is located in the original central bay. The ground floor windows are early 19th century sash windows with glazing bars and gauged skewback arches, while the first-floor windows are mid-19th century sashes also with gauged skewback arches. A platband runs between the floors. The roof is hipped. The east return displays two bays of blind windows dating to the 18th century, followed by a two-storey, four-bay 19th century extension. The rear wing is also from the 19th century and includes a large tripartite window on the ground floor set within a gauged skewback arch, two sash windows to the first floor, and an iron balcony. The interior contains early 19th century detailing. Behind the 19th century porch is the original doorway, now without doors, leading to a pair of unfluted Ionic columns flanked by Ionic pilaster strips and topped by a 7-vaned fanlight. This opens to a staircase hall with remnants of a stud cornice. The staircase features an open string, stick balusters, a ramped handrail, and a wreathed handrail. A principal ground-floor room, entered through a curved panelled door from the hall, is a former saloon with apsed ends.