Former Fox'S Umbrellas

This is an early 19th century terraced house that was later used as a shop. The upper floors were refaced in the 1870s, and the ground floor was altered in 1937. The upper floors are stuccoed in an elaborate French classical style.

The building is four storeys high with a basement, and has three windows. The 1937 shopfront by Pollard is a rare survival, featuring recessed, curved plate glass windows, black Vitrolite, and stainless steel grills. A Vitrolite band above the window displays the words "Recovers", "Established 1868", and "Repairs" in stainless steel lettering. Above this is a band of four opaque glass lights with etched horizontal lines. Similar detailing with the number "118" appears above a four-panel door. The fascia has red neon tubes spelling "Fox" in stainless steel letters, flanked by stainless steel relief carvings of running foxes. The upper floors have ornate pilasters at the angles to the first and second floors, and quoins to the third floor. The first-floor windows appear as ashlar due to channelled stucco. The first-floor sash windows have architraves composed of enriched, banded pilasters supporting entablatures and heavily enriched pediments. The second and third-floor sash windows have shouldered architraves and enriched pediments. A main cornice is present at the third floor level, along with a cornice and blocking course.

Inside the shop, the 1937 polished wood and glass fixtures and fittings were designed specifically for umbrellas and canes. The window base is made of diaper parquet blocks. The staircase has mirrored risers. Around the entrance and stairwell, mirrored walls feature applied ceramic lettering related to umbrella recovery, a patterned dado, and a light with small panes leading into the shop. The newels at the base of the stairs and the top of the first flight are made of solid mahogany with turned details. The second and third flights of stairs are from the early 19th century, with column newels, stick balusters, and a shaped handrail. A former barber’s shop on the first floor contains two half-glazed doors with intricate etched pattern panels from the 1870s, and an early 19th century fireplace with a fluted surround, floral enriched stops, and a central panel. The remaining floors have early 19th century fireplaces, cornices, and lyncrusta wallpaper.

The building was owned by the same family since the late 19th century, and until recently, umbrellas were manufactured on the premises. The upper floors and basement are now used as repair workshops.