4, Cowley Street Sw1

TQ 3079 SW CITY OF WESTMINSTER COWLEY STREET, SW1 101/41 9.1.70 No. 4

G.V. II

Terraced town house - offices. 1904-05 by Horace Field for North Eastern Railway. Dark red brick with rubbed brick dressings and Portland stone, tiled roof. Lavish late C.17 style, rather out of scale with its neighbours but with fine Arts and Crafts quality of detailing by this early Neo-Georgian revivalist, and no doubt given more importance as it closes the north continuation into Cowley Street of Lord North Street axis. 3 storeys, basement and dormered attic. 7 windows wide, the outermost windows as narrow half-bays; the front set back between heavy, brick party wall-piers and the centre 3 window bays advanced with quoins and crowning pediment. Large central rusticated doorway framed by Ionic columns, dosserets and segmental pediment with cartouche. Flush framed glazing bar sashes under flat gauged rubbed brick arches, with keystones to 1st floors, central window with eared architrave, aprons to sills and stone string above keystones. Richly modelled deep timber eaves cornice on carved brackets and similarly enriched steep pediment over centrepiece with large garlanded cartouche in tympanum; leaded light dormers above eaves flanking pediment. Good Arts and Crafts leadwork to rainwater head and downpipes. Wrought iron area railings. Lavishly panelled hall with vaulted ceiling, neo-Georgian staircase rising to rear, panelled rooms with stucco moulded ceilings, not just pastiche but with Arts and Crafts invention and sensitivity to detailing, etc.

Flats, Urban Houses and Cottage Homes; W. Shaw Sparrow ed. (c.1906).

Listing NGR: TQ3009879265