28, James Street Wc2

TQ 3080 NW JAMES STREET, WC2 (west side) 1900/9/10181 No. 28

GV II

House and shop, the upper parts now commercial premises. The original house on the site first leased 1635, present building of late C17 or early C18, refronted in 1790 and raised in 1874. Restored by the Greater London Council in 1980-1. Stock brick, now painted, roof not seen behind parapet; high brick party wall stacks. The plan of the building is a parallelogram, with front room, and rear room with staircase hall to south. It originally had a two-storey rear closet wing of which the ground floor survives incorporated into a rear C20 extension. Four storeys and basement. Regular three-bay front with four pane sashes to front probably of 1874 with earlier boxes to first floor, which has gauged brick heads of 1790 while the others seem to date from 1874 together with the prominent sill band between them. Ground floor shop front with entrance to upper floors to left is a sensitive creation of the GLC in 1980-1. Rear elevation has one large window and one smaller staircase window on a half landing per floor, with large French window to first floor giving on to flat roof of rear extension. Interior of upper floors of particular interest. Open tread staircase with decorated ends and two turned balusters per tread survives from ground-floor half landing to top, with paired newels and thick upswept handrail. Panelling also survives from this point to second floor, terminating at dado height on the half landing above. That to the second floor landing has been renewed, and possible modifications also at first floor. The first floor front room with simple panelling that has clearly been disturbed, under deep box cornice; large panels to the rear room which has corner fireplace surround and shallow cornice. The second floor front room with fireplace surround and some original panelling to south wall, and with cornices over these elements; the other panelling imported by the GLC from its salvage store or recreated. A fire passage now separates this room from that to the rear, which has three walls of original panelling and a corner fireplace. Included as a building of c. 1700 which retains many internal features of interest.

Listing NGR: TQ3029580956