Number 493 (Former Butchers Shop)

This is a former butcher's shop, dating from the late Victorian period, and forming the ground floor front room of a terraced house. The front room’s walls are tiled, with a decorative frieze at ceiling height featuring coloured 'Art Nouveau' glazed tiles, edged with plain green and black tiles. Below, the walls are plain white-tiled with panels of 'Art Nouveau' tiles incorporating an elongated, sinuous flower design, and a 'tulip motif' tiled frieze. A marble-topped counter on one side of the shop has panels of painted tiles depicting cows and sheep in rural landscapes, 'framed' within a beaded border edged with plain green tiles and cream tiles separating them. A plainer marble-topped counter is present on the opposite side. The floor is laid with small black-and-white tiles arranged in a geometric design. A trapdoor leads to an original cold storage cellar. Behind the shop is a full-height wooden payment kiosk with a fitted desk, shelving, and areas of curved, engraved glass. Plain bevelled mirror glass panels are in the doors flanking the kiosk. The woodwork is in a 'Queen Anne' revival style, with a dentilled cornice and scrolled door cases. Meat racks with scrolled brackets hang from the ceiling. The original shop front features panels of coloured glass set in moulded wooden surrounds. This is a finely-fitted out butcher's shop, and a rare survival, and is listed specifically for the shop area.