Berkeley House

Berkeley House is a Grade II* listed building located on Rochester High Street. Originally built as a house in the early 19th century, it has since been converted into offices, a bank, and a restaurant, with later alterations made to the structure. The building is constructed of stuccoed brick and features hipped roofs made of Welsh slate. It has a double depth plan and is set back slightly from the street, with lower service wings that project to street level on either side.

The front of the building is symmetrical with three bays and stands two storeys high. Architectural details include a moulded cornice, a first-floor sill band, a ground-floor lintel band that extends along the inner elevations of the service wings, and a plinth. The first floor has horned four-pane sash windows set in reveals beneath flat window arches. The ground floor features tripartite sash windows arranged in a 4:12:4 configuration under flat arches, which are recessed beneath segmental arches. This level is flanked by an impressive open porch supported by Corinthian columns and pilasters, topped with a pedimented entablature, and accessed via curved steps with railings.

The side walls of the service wings include a first-floor sash window and a round-headed doorway below, which has been blocked on the left side for the bank. The front elevation of the wings has been altered; on the right, the lintel band returns to encompass another segmental arched recess with a first-floor sash window and a late 20th-century glazed shop front. On the left, the band forms a moulded cap to the end pilaster, which features two segmental arched first-floor sash windows and a late 20th-century shop window with glazing bars, pilasters, a panelled plinth, and a door to the right beneath a rectangular overlight.

Inside, there is a curved open well stair located at the centre rear, featuring stick balusters and moulded stair ends within a curved turret topped by a glazed dome. Some panelled reveals can also be found. The inner porch door includes some Art Nouveau glazing. The listing also includes the York flagged forecourt, and the front railings were reinstated in 1986.