Number 17 And Attached Railings To Front And Garden Walls To Rear

Number 17 is a terraced house located on Church Row, likely built around 1723 and certainly by 1728. The ground floor was altered in the early 19th century, and the upper floors were refaced in the late 19th century in a Georgian style. A rear bathroom was added on corbel brackets around the 1890s. The exterior features multi-coloured stock brick and a stucco ground floor, designed to resemble ashlar. The house has a slated mansard roof with dormers and is three storeys high, with an attic and basement.

The round-arched doorway has fluted pilaster jambs, a radial fanlight, and a panelled door. The ground floor has recessed sashes, while the first floor features red brick segmental arches over casements with cast-iron balconies. The second floor also has red brick segmental arches over recessed sashes with exposed boxing. A parapet crowns the building, and there is a lead rainwater head and pipe on the right.

Inside, the layout consists of two rooms on each of the principal floors, with a staircase hall at the rear of the hallway and later closets on the half landing. The hallway and ground-floor rooms are panelled. A closed string staircase runs the full height of the house. The first floor is panelled with a box cornice and includes an early 19th-century fireplace and 1872 Minton tiles. The front room on the second floor has an early 18th-century fireplace with simpler panelling, while the rear room features stained glass panels over the bay and another early 18th-century fireplace. The basement includes plank doors, a dresser, a cupboard, and a dumb waiter.

The property also has attached cast-iron railings with urn finials to the areas. Historically, it was the home of the writer H.G. Wells from 1909 to 1913.