21-75, Gloucester Place W1

Nos. 21 to 75 on Gloucester Place is a long terrace of townhouses built around 1790-1800 as part of the Portman Estate development. The buildings are constructed of stock brick with stucco, featuring channelled or block rusticated ground floors, and most have concealed slate roofs. They rise four storeys with basements, some including added dormered mansards or full fourth floors. Each house has a three-window wide front, with semicircular arched doorways on the left that have panelled doors and either pilastered or Greek Doric columned side lights. The doorways are adorned with Coade imposts and delicately patterned fanlights with lead ornament. The upper floors have recessed sashes, some with glazing bars, set under flat gauged arches. Nos. 69 to 73 feature stucco architraves, with those on the first floor having cornices on consoles. A plat band runs above the ground floor stucco-work, and the buildings are topped with crowning stucco cornices and blocking courses. The original cast iron balconies on the first floor are geometric and anthemion patterned. The area railings are also cast iron, with urn finials, and those of Nos. 23, 31, 35, 39, and 73 incorporate elegant iron lamp standards. No. 73 has been partially rebuilt in facsimile. Notably, No. 65 was the home of the author William Wilkie Collins, marked by a Greater London Council plaque. This terrace is part of one of the most extensive and intact sequences of Georgian terraced houses in London.