5-6, THE SQUARE

This building, located at 5-6 The Square, is a pair of houses dating from the late 18th century that have been converted into a dispensary and later into offices. The conversion into a dispensary occurred in 1875, and it was transformed into offices in 1983. The exterior is stuccoed with a hipped roof made of clay plain tiles, which is hidden behind a parapet, and features rendered end stacks.

The building has a plan consisting of two 3-bay houses. It stands two storeys high, with an attic and cellar. The south front displays a symmetrical arrangement with three bays on each side, characterized by moulded string courses, a moulded cornice, and a blocking course, along with rusticated quoins. The windows are 4-pane sashes with keyblocks, and there are two 20th-century dormers. The north front is similar but features tripartite sashes on the ground floor set within rusticated architraves, while the first floor windows have moulded architraves. The doorway on the left has a panelled door, and the centre right window is blocked.

The interior was remodeled in 1983 for office use, but it still retains the servants' winder stairs at the west end, which have stick balusters. This pair of late Georgian houses was originally converted into The Winchester Provident Dispensary in 1875. Despite the internal alterations, the exterior of the building remains imposing and contributes significantly to the townscape and group value in the centre of Winchester, facing the Cathedral.