14-18, Fitzhardinge Street W1

The building comprises a terrace of town houses at 14 to 18 Fitzhardinge Street, located in the City of Westminster. Dating to circa 1780, they were built as part of the Duke of Manchester’s development associated with Manchester Square on Portman Estate land, forming the western approach to the square. The buildings are constructed of brown brick with rusticated stucco to the ground floors, and have slate roofs mostly concealed behind parapets. Numbers 14 and 16 are of three storeys with dormered mansards, while numbers 15 and 18 are of four storeys and number 17 is of five storeys, all incorporating basements. The fronts generally have three window bays, though numbers 14 and 18 have five, and number 18 has a three-window return to Manchester Square. Semicircular arched doorways are located to the left on numbers 15 to 17, and are centrally placed on numbers 14 and 18, each approached by short flights of steps over areas. Panelled doors and fanlights are present, with number 14 featuring an architrave surround and pilastered reveals, and a cornice over. Number 15’s doorway is recessed for one order, number 16 has side lights and a patterned fanlight, number 17 is recessed for one order with a vermiculated keystone, and number 18 has an architrave with half pilasters and a cornice. The windows are recessed sashes, some with glazing bars under flat gauged arches. A plat band finishes off the ground floor stucco work, and number 18 also has plat bands to the upper floors, with a cornice over the second floor. The parapets have stone or stucco copings. Original cast iron balconies with a geometric patterned design are present to the first floor, except for number 15. Cast iron area railings are fitted with urn finials. The interior of number 17 retains original delicate plasterwork to the main front rooms and a geometrical staircase with slender turned balusters.