36-40, Great Smith Street Sw1

This is a terrace of three houses located at 36-40 Great Smith Street, dating from around 1725. They were built during a period of significant development, contemporary with Barton, Cowley, Lord North, Great College Streets, and Smith Square.

No. 40 is constructed of brown brick with red brick dressings. The ground floor has been stuccoed, and the roof is tiled. The house has three storeys and a basement and attic, with three windows facing the street. The doorcase features a panelled architrave and a plain rectangular overlight, topped by a flat canopy supported on brackets, which was added after World War II. The front door has been replaced. The ground floor windows are 12-pane recessed sashes. The first floor has flush frame 8-pane sashes set within flat red brick arches, and the second floor has 2-light casements in altered openings. Dormer casements have been replaced behind the parapet, which has a coping. The interior retains its original layout, including a small closet wing on each floor. The roof structure is an original M-plan, with an internal lead drain. A closed string staircase runs from the basement to the second floor, featuring square newels, twisted balusters, a plain string, a panelled dado, and partial wall panelling. A stick baluster staircase leads to the attic. The passage hall is panelled with an arched opening to the stairwell, and features box cornicing. The ground floor retains panelling to the front, rear, and closet wings; the rear room has a bolection moulded chimney piece, and fielded panels remain above the first-floor rooms. A modillion cornice is present to the front.

No. 38 is similarly constructed of brown brick with rubbed red brick dressings, with a stuccoed ground floor and a tiled mansard roof. It also has three storeys and a basement and attic, with three windows. The entrance features a panelled door with a plain overlight, set within a panelled architrave, and a flat canopy supported by moulded brackets. There are horned sashes with glazing bars on all floors, and a continuous attic dormer with a pair of casements beneath a gablet.

No. 36 is also built of brown brick with red brick dressings and a stuccoed ground floor, with a tiled mansard roof. This house has three storeys and a basement and attic, with three windows. The entrance is a six-panel door, with the lower panels flush, above a plain overlight and is protected by a flat canopy supported on scrolled brackets. The ground floor has 8-pane recessed sashes, the first floor has 18-pane recessed sashes, and the second floor has 12-pane flush sashes, all set within flat red brick arches. There are two dormer windows with flat roofs. Panelling is visible in the hall from the pavement.