39,41 AND 43, OLD TOWN

These are handsome examples of early to mid-18th century townhouses, located on the east side of Old Town. The properties comprise three buildings, numbered 39, 41, and 43. Each house is two storeys with an attic and basement, and features four windows. The construction is primarily brownish-yellow brick with red brick dressings. The roofs are steeply pitched and tiled, with two dormers visible. The windows are sash windows with glazing bars. The houses are characterized by classical cornices and flat, leaded window tops. A moulded, modillioned wood eaves cornice runs along the top of the building. The early 19th century sash windows have delicate glazing bars, set within near-flush moulded wood architraves, all under finely gauged brick arches. The arches are cut and curved on the first floor, supporting a moulded string course on the ground floor. Number 41 has a door with six fielded panels; the other doors have been altered. All doors are topped by rectangular fanlights and are paired for numbers 41 and 43. The doors are set within panels of stucco banded rustication, and are protected by Doric entablature door-cases (the one for number 39 being a restoration), each featuring a large segmental pediment. A blue plaque from the Greater London Council is displayed on number 43, commemorating John Francis Bentley (1839-1902), the architect who lived there.