Numbers 1-11 And Attached Railings

Numbers 1-11 New Square and attached railings, Lincoln's Inn, Camden

Eleven chambers built between approximately 1690 and 1697 by Dr Nicholas Barbon for Henry Vincent, Lord Chandos of Sudeley. The form of New Square was established in 1682 with foundations probably dug in 1685 by Henry Serle, with whom Barbon had been involved through Serle's partner Robert Clerke, who died in 1690.

The buildings are constructed in brown brick with red brick dressings and basements now stuccoed, with slated roofs behind parapets. All are 4 storeys with basements, the top storey added in the 18th century.

The exteriors share common architectural features: stone architraved doorcases with pulvinated frieze, console-bracketed cornice and curved broken pediment with ball in centre, except No.10 which has a triangular pediment and No.11 which lacks a ball. All have gauged red brick arches (mostly flat, occasionally segmental) to slightly recessed sash windows with exposed boxing, typically featuring 18th-century glazing bars. Ground and first-floor windows generally retain shutters, and some first and second-floor windows have 19th-century blind boxes.

No.1 features red brick bands at first and second-floor levels, with third-floor multi-coloured stock brick band and nine windows. On its left return is a stone tablet set up by John Greene, Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn in 1693, inscribed "This wall is built upon the ground of Linconles Inne. No windows are to be broken out without leave". The interior preserves original panelling to the hall and some rooms, with an original dog-leg stair featuring turned balusters and square reveals.

No.2 has a red brick band at second-floor level and nine windows with segmental arches. It retains shutters to ground floor and five first-floor windows. Round iron balusters feature on the stone stairs. The Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (West London) suggests this number was rebuilt during the 18th and 19th centuries.

No.3 has a brick band at first-floor level, four windows plus one on the right-hand forward return, with flush-frame sash windows and shutters to three ground-floor windows. Round iron balusters are present on the stone stairs.

No.4 displays the most elaborate architectural treatment. Its third floor is partly rebuilt in yellow stock brick. The ground floor features a four-centred arch to New Square with a grotesque keystone and carved brackets supporting a broken segmental pediment with scrolls at the sides. Above are two segmental pedimented enriched panels bearing coats-of-arms dated 1697 of De Lacy and Serle. The Back Gate to Carey Street, originally consisting of a carriage-way and two flanking pedestrian passages, had its footways converted to shops around 1843. Each footway comprises four bays with pilasters carrying groined vault and shop fronts with large panes. The four-centred arch to Carey Street is flanked by panelled Doric pilasters with cornice, broken scroll pediment and elaborately panelled gates. Both arches are of painted cement. Below the arches at both ends of the passage are 19th-century lamps of Nico type supported by scroll work. The interior features altered dog-leg stairs with turned balusters and square newels.

No.5 has brick bands at first and second-floor levels. Four bays of the third floor are stuccoed with architraved sashes and cornice. Nine windows with gauged red brick flat arches and exposed boxing feature throughout. Turned balusters and square reveals adorn the dog-leg stairs.

No.6 displays brick bands at first and second-floor levels with six stuccoed bays of the third floor featuring architraved sashes and rudimentary cornice. Nine windows with gauged red brick flat arches and exposed boxing. Dog-leg stairs with turned balusters and square reveals.

No.7 has brick bands at first and second-floor levels, with a moulded brick band on the return at third-floor level. Three and a half bays of the third floor are stuccoed with architraved sashes and rudimentary cornice, with the remainder partly rebuilt. Four windows plus one on the right-hand forward return feature gauged red brick flat arches to flush-framed sashes. Turned balusters and square reveals occur on the dog-leg stairs.

No.8 has a moulded brick band to two left-hand third-floor bays, centre bays showing third and fourth floors in yellow stock brick with red brick dressings. Eleven windows with gauged red brick flat arches and exposed boxing. Dog-leg stairs with turned balusters and square reveals.

No.9 features brick bands at first, second and third-floor levels with fourth storey in yellow stock brick. Nine windows with gauged red brick flat arches and exposed boxing. Turned balusters and square reveals feature on the dog-leg stairs.

No.10 was rebuilt after a fire in 1752 and partly re-faced and re-roofed around 1951 following war damage. Constructed in yellow stock brick with stone bands at ground and first-floor levels, stone first-floor sill band and stone bracketed cornice at third-floor level. Nine windows with flat brick arches to recessed sashes. Three formers form a central roof-line feature with a central window in an arched recess with pediment. The dog-leg stair features square iron balusters.

No.11 was partly re-faced and re-roofed around 1951 following war damage. It comprises red brick with plain brick band at first-floor level and moulded brick band at second floor. The tiled roof includes dormers. Three storeys, basement and attic contain eight windows with gauged red brick flat arches to flush-frame sashes and exposed boxing. At first-floor level is a carved and inscribed plaque dated 1691, with date plaques inscribed DSC 1693, FSG 1787 and TS 1951.

Attached cast-iron railings with urn finials enclose the areas before the buildings.

New Square represents an exceptionally well-preserved and early example of a set of legal chambers, remarkably spacious with good panelled interiors. It stands as one of the most complete surviving 17th-century set pieces in London.