Partner'S House, Whitbread'S Brewery And Attached Railings

This is a substantial early 18th-century house, originally part of Whitbread’s Brewery and now used as offices. The building is constructed of red brick in a Flemish bond pattern, with a tiled roof. It is four storeys high, with a basement, and has a nine-window front. The original design likely featured a central five-bay section with the two outer bays on each side stepped back, although the two easternmost bays are now flush with the central section.

The main entrance is centrally positioned and features a flat arch with a doorcase comprising panelled pilasters and carved scrolled brackets supporting a flat hood with a panelled soffit. The architrave is moulded, and the panelled door may be partly original. The ground-floor windows are flat-arched replacements. A moulded wooden cornice runs across the entire facade. The upper-floor windows are flat-arched with gauged brick heads, flush with the wall, and feature recessed panels of one brick's width between them on all floors. The first-floor windows have brick keystones, and several windows on all floors are blank. There is a moulded brick storey band running up to an arch over the centre window, and on the second floor, one window has a dropped sill that breaks through the storey band. Further brick storey bands are present, and a coved cornice covers the first seven bays, and also extends over the first bay of the adjacent building to the east. The eighth and ninth bays feature a plain stucco band and parapet, with stacks above. Area railings with spearhead finials are attached to the front.

Inside, the entrance hall has a dado rail and a round arch supported by consoles. A front room on the ground floor at the east end retains some 18th-century panelling, along with a late 20th-century replacement; the panelled dado has been altered. Features include a chimneypiece with an eared architrave and festoons to the frieze, four doors with moulded architraves and octagonally chamfered panels, and one door with a scrolled pediment and double doors. A deep entablature with a modillion cornice runs to the ceiling. The first-floor board room is similarly panelled with a dado, four doors with moulded architraves and octagonally chamfered panels, a chimneypiece with an eared architrave, garlands of musical instruments in the frieze, and a small scrolled pediment, along with a stepped entablature to the ceiling. An adjacent room retains early 18th-century panelling throughout and a chimneypiece with an eared architrave, a pulvinated frieze, and a cast iron grate dating to around 1800. The staircase to the second and third floors is of 18th-century design, with a panelled dado, square newel posts, barley sugar balusters, and a closed string.