11 and 12 Bruce Grove

Pair of houses dating from between 1789 and 1798, with later alterations and converted to flats in the 1980s.

The two attached houses are constructed of stock brick laid in Flemish bond with slate-covered roofs. The sub-basements and north elevation of number 12 are stuccoed. Window openings contain sash frames, with some possibly original examples in the central blocks. The first floor of number 12 has replacement horned sashes.

The houses comprise a central block and slightly set-back lower wings, facing east to Bruce Grove, with number 11 to the south and number 12 to the north. Each originally had an outer range, believed to have served as a carriage-house and stable, which are now demolished (their locations are indicated on the Tithe map where they appear as slightly detached structures). The central block rises three storeys plus sub-basement with two bays to each house. The side ranges are two storeys plus sub-basement and of two bays. The main block features a rectangular-plan hipped roof to front and back with central chimney stacks. These are connected by pitched roofs to the centre and sides, with a flat-roofed square gulley occupying the intervening spaces. The side wing to number 11 has a hipped roof to the front and a pyramidal roof to the rear. That to number 12 has a single hipped roof.

The front elevation presents a symmetrical frontage with both houses two window bays wide. Each house has its entrance reached by a flight of stone steps with metal railings, set in the inner bay of the side ranges. Number 11 has a six-panel door in a square-headed opening with a transom. Number 12 has an arched entrance with a transom and a modern glazed door. Both entrances are sheltered by classical porches with hoods supported on columns; that to number 11 features 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-headed with gauged brick heads, those on the first floor being six-over-six timber sashes and three-over-three sashes on the second floor. The side range of number 11 has a canted ground-floor bay window extending into the sub-basement, fitted with six-over-six timber-framed sash windows. The two bays on the upper floor have six-over-six timber sashes in square openings with gauged brick heads. The side range of number 12 has a single round arched window to the upper floor with an upper sash with multi-pane glazing and a three-over-three lower sash. The ground floor has a bricked up arched opening.

The rear elevation to the main block features a ground-floor bow window extending into the sub-basement to each house. The upper floors of each house are of two bays with timber-framed sash windows in square-headed openings, six-over-six on the first floor and three-over-three on the second floor. The side range to number 11 is of three storeys to the inner bay (under the slate-covered pyramidal roof) and two storeys to the outer bay (under a felted sloping roof), both with sash windows to each floor. The side range to number 12 is of one bay, with the ground floor having a half-bay window with an arched window on the first floor.

The side (south) elevation to the side range of number 11 is largely blind. The rendered north elevation to number 12, facing onto Woodside Gardens, is of five bays with segmental arched window openings. On the first floor all but the central opening are blind. On the ground floor the sash windows are of differing heights, and there is an additional window to the half-bay window (to the rear elevation).

Both houses have been subdivided into flats.