Hostel Of God

The Hostel of God is a late 18th-century house located on the north side of Clapham Common. It has three storeys and a basement, featuring a main block with five windows and a slightly projecting, pedimented three-bay centre. To the right, there is an extra blank bay, and to the left, a wide one-bay extension that rises two tall storeys. The building is constructed of stock brick, with stucco bands at the ground level, first floor, and at the cill level of the first floor. The sash windows, which have glazing bars, are set beneath gauged brick arches; those on the ground floor are round-headed and placed in round-arched recesses, while the extension has tripartite windows, all featuring blind cases. A blue plaque from the London County Council notes that Sir Charles Barry, the architect, lived and died here. The entrance is marked by a central Doric porch with a pediment.