Britannia House

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 17 May 2022 to reformat the text to current standards

TQ 318 8/179

OLD BAILEY, EC4 Nos 16-17 (Britannia House)

GV II Commercial building. Designed 1912 by Arthur Usher of Yetts, Sturdy and Usher for London (Chatham and Dover Railway Co). Built of Portland stone, with copper flashings and enrichment to Mansard Westmorland slate roof. Rectangular plan with facade to Old Bailey. Edwardian Baroque style with French influences.

Four storeys and attics; five window range. Broken-pedimented entrance surmounted by reclining figures depicting rail travel (with female figure reclining on railway wheel) and sea travel (with female figure leaning on anchor in front of ship's prow) in the manner of F W Pomeroy: festooned brackets with lions mask stops flank square-headed and cavetto-moulded rusticated architrave with keyblock. Rusticated piers and pilasters flank ground floor windows divided from upper floors by plain entablature. Upper floors, with rusticated quoining, have transomed casements set in festooned square-headed architraves with label moulds to first floor and festooned brackets to pedimented second floor windows; ovolo-moulded segmental-arched third-floor windows with festooned label mould which alternate with elaborate cartouches with grotesque heads. Segmental-arched windows to attic storey above modillioned cornice. Mansard roof has copper ornament to semi-circular dormer windows above corniced square-headed dormer windows. Similar two bay side walls. Interior remodelled in later C20. Range to rear not of special architectural or historic interest.

Listing NGR: TQ3175981388