Numbers 163-185 (Odd) And Attached Railings

Numbers 163-185 (odd) and attached railings are a group of twelve terraced houses built in 1837. They are constructed of multi-coloured stock brick with a banded stucco ground floor to the central block (numbers 171-175). The roofs are obscured by parapets, and there are brick party-wall stacks. The houses follow a side-hall entrance plan with a staircase. Each house has three storeys and a basement, with two windows facing the street.

The central block and the right-end house (number 185) project slightly. The ground floor features round-arched openings. Steps lead to the entrance of number 185, which has a return frontage to 90A Richmond Avenue. The original four-panelled door at numbers 165, 167, 169, and 183 remains, though some have been altered or replaced in the 20th century. Number 167 has a modern board covering the original door, and number 169 has a stripped column. The fanlights above the doors at numbers 165, 167, 169, and 183 are original, with numbers 171 and 173 featuring curved and radial glazing bars, while the others are plain. Ground-floor openings in the central block are framed by stucco panels with gauged-brick round arches. They contain 6/6 sash windows, with 2/2 sashes at number 179. Windows from numbers 163 to 169 have intersecting Gothic-style glazing bars, while numbers 171-173 and 183-185 have curved and radial bars.

The upper floors have gauged-brick flat arches. The first floor has a stucco sill band and features 6/6 sashes (at numbers 165, 169, 173, 177, 181, and 185), 2/2 sashes (at numbers 163, 167, 175, and 179), and 6/2 sashes (at number 171). The central block's sashes are damaged, appearing without the arched recess and impost bands. Iron-bracketed balconies originally ornamented with Gothic detailing, including trefoil and arch motifs, are present on number 185 (a single balcony), and were previously on numbers 165, 171, 173, 179, and 181, though these have now been removed. The balcony at number 175 has a partially destroyed spiderweb pattern in the ironwork. A stone date plaque between the first and second stories of number 173 is currently painted over. The second floor has 6/6 sashes, with 2/2 sashes at numbers 165 and 179.

Significant patching-in and rebuilding are visible on the upper storeys. The houses have brick string courses (at numbers 163-169 and 177-181) and stucco parapets (at 171-175, with scraping visible at number 171). Numbers 183-185 have a stucco cornice and plain brick parapets with stone coping. The brickwork beneath the stucco is arranged to resemble ashlar. The houses are of Regency style. Number 185’s return frontage on Richmond Avenue features a centre-hall entrance plan, three window range, a double-fronted design with bowed bays to the upper floors carried on slender iron colonnettes, a four-panelled door set back under the projection, and similar detailing to the Barnsbury Road elevation, with 6/6 sashes and an architraved window on the upper floor. Attached porch and area iron railings in Gothic and geometric patterns are present.