123-131, LONDON ROAD

Terrace of houses and shops, dating from around 1821-1827, almost certainly designed by William Mountague, surveyor to the City of London. The terrace is constructed in brick, with stuccoed finish to numbers 126-128 and painted finish elsewhere. All buildings have parapeted roofs except number 130, which has a slate mansard roof, and all feature brick part-wall stacks.

The buildings comprise three storeys and basement except number 130, which includes an attic storey, and number 131, which rises to four storeys and basement. Each house presents a two-window range with a first floor arcade, except number 131. Number 123 has a built-out shopfront with wooden mullion and transom windows on both floors above. Number 124 features a shopfront with 6/6 sash windows above. The ground floors of numbers 125-130 are currently boarded with blocked first-floor windows, though number 125 retains 6/6 sashes at second-floor level and number 130 also has 6/6 sashes; the other buildings have 4/4 sashes at second floor, with those of number 127 damaged. Numbers 126 and 128 are distinguished by stucco quoins and large plaster number disks at first-floor level. Number 132 has a shopfront with 3/3 and 3/6 sashes above and adjoins the Duke of Clarence Public House to its left.

Interior Details

Number 123 retains in its basement a stair, dresser in the rear room, and blocked chimney-piece. The ground floor has lost all fixtures. The stair to the first floor has been altered. A wooden partition wall separates the stair-well from the first-floor rear room, which contains a reeded chimney-piece, four-panel door, and 6×6 pane sash window. The first-floor front room has a reeded door-case and ceiling mouldings. The stair to the second floor has lost most stick balusters but retains a columnar newel and hand-rail. A wooden partition wall adjoins the stair-well. The second-floor rear room contains an original four-panel door, corner cupboard, and 6×6 pane sash window. The second-floor front room has a blocked chimney-piece and later wall boarding and casement windows.

Number 124's basement was not inspected. The stair to the first floor is gone. The first-floor rear retains a wooden partition wall to the stair-well and stick baluster staircase with 6×6 pane sash window. The first-floor front appears to retain a reeded chimney-piece (blocked at inspection) and reeded window surrounds, with an original window to the stair-well. The staircase to the second floor retains columnar newel posts and wooden partition to the rear room, which has an original four-panel door, 6×6 pane sash window, and later 19th-century iron grate. The second-floor front retains moulded door surrounds, four-panel door, and cupboard.

Number 125 has had its stairs to the first floor removed. Wooden partitions separate the stair-well from first and second-floor rear rooms. First-floor front windows survive behind bricking-up. The staircase from first to second floor survives in part with columnar newel posts and stick balusters. The second-floor rear room retains a plain chimney-piece, four-panel door, and 6×6 pane sash window. The second-floor front room retains a corner cupboard.

Numbers 126 to 128 were joined at ground-floor level in the later 19th century. Number 126 features a good shopfront with cast-iron Gothic letters (present in 1992, with elements appearing to survive behind present boarding). The ground floor has been knocked through and connected laterally with number 127. Upper flights of stairs between ground and second floor retain columnar newels and stick balusters. A wooden partition between the stair-well and rear rooms remains intact. The second-floor rear room retains an original 6×6 pane sash window.

Number 127 has had its staircase from ground to first floor removed and is blocked between first and second floors. Wooden partitions between the stair-well and rear rooms on first and second floors remain intact. Plain chimney surrounds and cupboards survive in the upper rooms.

Number 128 has remains of an early 20th-century shopfront on the ground floor. The stair from ground to first floor has been removed. The second-floor front room retains a reeded stone chimney-piece (detached at time of inspection).

Number 129's ground floor has been extended to the rear with all original fixtures lost. The first-floor rear room retains a 6×6 pane sash window, cupboard, door surround, and skirting boards. The first-floor front retains fluted window surrounds and moulded dado rail. The staircase to the second floor retains a columnar newel post and stick balusters. A wooden partition adjoins the rear room, which has an original cupboard, plain chimney-piece, and door surround. The second-floor front retains an original cupboard and plain chimney-piece.

Number 130's staircase from ground to first floor has been removed, but the remainder of the staircase from first floor to attic is complete with columnar newel posts and stick balusters. The first-floor front room retains a reeded chimney-piece (detached at inspection). Other plain chimney-pieces and cupboards survive. Lath and plaster partitions between rear rooms and stair-well contrast with the panel partitions found in numbers 123-129.

Number 131 has a basement rear room retaining an iron range and corner copper with cover; the front room retains a chimney-piece and window originally giving onto the front area (now blocked). The stair leading to basement, first, second, and third floors is intact with columnar newel posts and stick balusters. Stone chimney-pieces with reeded surrounds to the first and second-floor front rooms are flanked by cupboards. A similar chimney-piece appears on the second-floor rear. The third-floor front room has a plain chimney-piece with flanking cupboards. Much early joinery survives throughout.

This terrace forms a significant group with the Obelisk at St George's Circus, the Duke of Clarence Public House, numbers 113-119 Borough Road, the former Presbyterian Chapel on Borough Road, and the St George the Martyr Library on Borough Road.