4-18 AND 4A-18A, WOBURN WALK

A terrace of eight shops with accommodation above, built around 1822 by Thomas Cubitt, and restored in the late 20th century. The building is constructed of stucco, with wooden shopfronts.

The terrace is three storeys high, with cellars below. Each shop has one window. The upper floors have party walls articulated by narrow recessed bays. The wooden shopfronts have been largely restored and feature pilasters supporting a continuous entablature with anthemion and palmette ornament to the architrave. The projecting shop windows have rounded angles and small panes, flanked by panelled and half-glazed doors with overlights. The upper floors contain segmental-arched windows with plain architraves adorned with paterae. The first floor windows are four-light designs with cast-iron balconies, while the second floor windows are mostly tripartite. Shop number 4 features a first-floor window with a cast-iron trellis verandah and tented roof. The parapets have plain bands, with Nos. 4, 10, 12, and 18 distinguished by shallow scrolled pediments above.

The interiors were not inspected during the listing process.

Thomas Cubitt was instrumental in the development of the Bedford Estate north and east of Russell Square. This architecturally coherent and well-preserved terrace of shops, along with Duke’s Road, exemplifies an exceptional composition.