13 and 14 Bruce Grove

Pair of houses dating from between 1789 and 1798, with later alterations. Converted to flats in the early 21st century.

The houses are constructed of stock brick laid in Flemish bond with slate-covered roofs. The sub-basements and south elevation of number 13 are stuccoed. Window openings contain sash frames, some possibly original. The main block has a slate-covered rectangular-plan hipped roof to front and back with central chimney stacks. The side wing to number 13 has a slate-covered hipped roof to the front and a pitched roof to the rear. The side wing to number 14 has an early-21st-century dormered mansard roof.

The houses consist of attached buildings with a central block and slightly set-back lower wings, facing east to Bruce Grove, with number 13 to the south and number 14 to the north adjoined by number 15a. Each originally had an outer range believed to have served as a carriage-house and stable. The Tithe map suggests these were originally slightly detached. The outer range to number 13 was demolished around 1900. The equivalent area to number 14 has been subject to change and rebuilding, with a narrow passageway between numbers 14 and 15 filled in the late 20th century by a narrow addition. The central block is three storeys plus sub-basement with two bays to each house. The side ranges are two storeys plus sub-basement, with that to number 13 being a single bay and that to number 14 having an additional bay.

The front elevation presents a symmetrical frontage with both houses two window bays wide. Both have their entrances in the side ranges abutting the main range, reached by flights of stone steps with metal railings. The entrance to number 13 has a six-panel door, while that to number 14 has two glazed panels. Both are set in square openings with fanlights and have classical porches with fielded side panels and hoods supported on columns with Ionic capitals.

A stuccoed eaves cornice supported by paired blocks beneath a blocking course runs along the top of the frontage of the main block. A stone stringcourse separates the ground and first floors. The ground floor windows are six-over-six timber sashes in square-headed openings with gauged brick heads set in round-arched recesses. The upper storey windows are square with gauged brick heads, those on the first floor having six-over-six timber sashes and three-over-three sashes on the second floor. The side ranges have square-headed windows to the ground floor and a single Palladian window to the first floor, that to number 14 having a cast-iron balcony. In the side range to number 14, the ground-floor windows are set within round-headed recesses like those on the main block. The additional unit to the north has a single square-headed window to the first floor.

The rear elevation of the main block has a full-height bow window extending into the sub-basement to number 13 with sash windows. Number 14 has sash windows in square-headed openings to each bay of its four storeys. Number 14 has a large canted bay spanning both parts of the range, thought to be early-20th-century.

The stuccoed side elevation of number 13, onto Woodside Gardens, is largely blind with a narrow four-over-four sash window to the upper storey and two small modern windows below.

Both houses have been subdivided into flats internally.