183-203, VAUXHALL BRIDGE ROAD

Row of eleven terraced houses, originally called Belvoir Terrace, dating from around 1827.

The houses are built in yellow stock brick, with some featuring gauged arches of red brick. They have stone steps, cills and parapet copings, and slate roofs with mansards to the rear and brick chimneystacks between each property. The row comprises two storeys with basements, some with attics, arranged as two windows wide on each front. Front areas are enclosed with railings featuring urn and spearhead finials on Nos 185 (partial), 187-193, 197-199.

Number 183 retains a circa 1930 shop front inscribed "FREDK E GILLETT ltd" in tiles, with painted tiles below the window depicting two house building scenes showing joiners and decorators at work and a new half-timbered house in a Metroland setting. Numbers 193, 201 and 203 have later shop fronts to ground floor level; No. 201 is Victorian with scrolled consoles flanking the fascia board, and No. 197 has a modern roller blind inserted. Numbers 185-191 retain cavetto-moulded door surrounds with semi-circular lights above. Ground floor arched windows are now concealed, though some originally contained Regency Gothic glazing bars with margin lights. Other windows are mainly 6/6-pane sashes, though some have been replaced with mid-19th-century sashes with verticals only, late 19th-century sashes without glazing bars, and a few 20th-century casements in original openings. Numbers 185-191 and 195 have arcaded fronts at first floor level, with No. 193 almost certainly having them originally too. Numbers 187-191 project forward and have a continuous cill band at second floor level with a heightened parapet; these would have formed the centrepiece of the original Belvoir Terrace, which originally extended further south. Numbers 193 and 195 have original cast iron balconies to the first floor and retain marginally-glazed first floor French windows. Rear elevations feature mansard roofs, some retaining original 6-pane windows to the attic and some original 6/6-pane sashes below.

Internally, the houses contain two rooms per floor with narrow staircases on the south party wall. Internal features show consistency of design and construction throughout the row.

No. 183 retains an original staircase, though missing stick balusters, a reeded cornice to the first floor, and an alcove cupboard.

No. 185 is internally the best preserved. It retains a reeded cornice to the hall, round-headed arch and door architraves, and a staircase with column newel but missing some stick balusters. The ground floor front room has a reeded cornice and wooden fireplace. The first floor has a similar reeded cornice and in situ vertical shutters to front windows. The second floor has an original wooden fireplace with pilasters, fire-grate and cupboards.

No. 187 has a hall with reeded cornice, moulded dado rail, plank panelling to dado height and round-headed arch with leaf moulding. The staircase survives with column newels and most stick balusters. Original architraves remain to doors. The ground floor has a corner cupboard to the rear room. The first floor has a reeded cornice to the front room. The second floor retains two cupboards.

No. 189 retains an original staircase, reeded cornices to ground floor and first floor, and an original wooden fireplace and cupboard to the second floor.

No. 191 has a hall with reeded cornice and round-headed arch with brackets. The staircase was recently removed but a framed partition survives to the full height of the building. Original architraves to doors remain. The ground floor rear room retains two wooden cupboards. The first floor front room has a wooden reeded fireplace with paterae and two low-level cupboards, along with a reeded cornice. The second floor retains two cupboards to the front room and the rear room has a simple wooden fireplace and cupboard retaining its door.

No. 193 is subdivided but retains a hall with reeded cornice, round-headed arch with leaf brackets, dado rail, and a staircase with column newel and stick balusters. The first floor retains two round-headed alcoves.

No. 195 is now united with 197 and much altered internally, having been adapted for hotel use. The first floor previously had architraves with square paterae, round-headed alcoves and a cornice of intersecting circles.

No. 197 retains a hall with moulded cornice, round-headed arch on console brackets, and a staircase with column newel and stick balusters, though lower balusters have been replaced by later turned balusters. The ground floor has a wooden cupboard with square paterae. The first floor has a wooden fireplace with reeded surround and paterae.

No. 199 is much altered internally but retains a hall with moulded cornice and round-headed arch with leaf brackets, moulded architraves, and original architraves. The staircase has later balustrading and newel posts following fire damage.

No. 201 is much altered internally with some original doors and architraves, and parts of reeded cornice remaining.

No. 203 is much altered internally with a panelled partition on the first floor which could be original. The staircase has been replaced by a late 19th-century staircase with turned balusters and newel post with acorn finial.

The row dates from around 1827, when an Act was passed in 1826 enabling the development of lands belonging to the Reverend Henry Wise. The terrace is shown on the 1829 edition of Crutchley's map of London. It stands within an area previously known as Neat House Gardens. Vauxhall Bridge and its approach road were opened in 1816, opening up this part of London for development. An open sewer ran directly behind Belvoir Terrace and was closed over in 1844. This is an early development in this part of Pimlico and one of the few to survive in the area. The terrace, now shorter than when first built, possesses various features of interest including the former projecting centrepiece to the row, which endows the fronts with architectural presence. The remaining houses of Belvoir Terrace are characteristic examples of late Georgian domestic architecture laid out along a new arterial route.