The Red House, 97 and 98 High Street

Former townhouse, built in the C18, subdivided by the mid-C20 and used as offices.

MATERIALS: the building is constructed of brick, laid to Flemish bond in a checker pattern, with brick, stucco and ashlar detailing. The front range is stopped by a tile roof with wide brick stacks.

PLAN: the building faces south on the High Street, with wings to the rear (north).

EXTERIOR: the main, two-storey front range has a five-window south elevation flanked by a further bay on either side. The ground and first-floor windows are six-over-six sashes in recessed reveals, with block sills and flat brick arched heads. The outer window bays project slightly forward. The central recessed entrance includes a six-panel door. The doorcase consists of a pair of Doric pilasters and a moulded arch, within which is a semi-circular fanlight with decorative detailing. Above the ground floor is a stucco plat band and a pair of dentil pediments over the outer bay windows. There is a further stucco string course with a plain fried and moulded cornice above the first floor. To the east is a further single-window three-storey bay with a panelled entrance door under a fanlight to number 98. To the west is a two-storey bay with a further ground-floor door under a rounded arch and first-floor sash window. This front range is topped by a gable gambrel roof, with large chimney stacks at either end. Over the front elevation are three dormer windows. There is a brick parapet with stone coping; in front of each dormer is a panel of balusters.

To the rear is the back of the main range, a two-storey hipped roof and flat-roof wing at the north-west corner, and a two-storey projecting bowed bay to the north-east corner; all with windows of various dates, including several sashes. At the rear elevation of the main range is a first-floor sash window in a shallow recess with a pair of pilasters, topped by a blind fanlight, within a rounded brick arch; above is a broken pediment. The roof on this side includes further dormer windows behind a brick parapet.