No. 3 And Attached Canopy Nos. 1 And 2 (Part)

No. 3 and attached canopy Nos 1 and 2 (part) on St James's Street comprises a launderette with accommodation over, with launderette continuing to the ground floor of No. 1 St James's Place, and offices to the first floor of Nos 1 and 2 St James's Place. Built between circa 1790 and 1793 by John Palmer, the building has undergone 20th-century alterations.

The main structure is built of limestone ashlar, painted at ground floor level and rendered to the rear. The roof is a parapeted mansard in Welsh slate and artificial slate with concrete tile to the upper slope at the rear, and features an ashlar stack to the right. The canopy is constructed in timber and wrought iron with a glazed roof attached to the left-hand side.

The building rises three storeys with an attic and basement, presenting a single bay three-window range. The first floor has three grouped plate glass horned sashes, narrower to the left and right, with a continuous wrought iron balconette. The second floor has three similar windows without horns and a continuous stone sill. The ground floor features a 20th-century glass door in a plain reveal to the right and a 20th-century plate glass window in a former door opening with chamfered jambs with ogee stops at the top. A double dormer with plate glass sashes punctures the roofline. A band course runs over the ground floor with a weathered sill band to the first floor, continuous with Nos 1 and 2 St James's Street, and the eaves cornice and coped parapet are also continuous with those properties.

The rear elevation of No. 3 St James's Street has a plate glass sash to the first floor and a similar single dormer. A reconstituted stone single-storey extension with no openings projects from the rear of Nos 1 and 2 St James's Place.

To the left of No. 3 St James's Street, under the canopy, stands a six-panel door with fielded panels and a plank door in plain reveals with a band course above. A five-light three-pane fixed window with ovolo moulded glazing bars provides shop frontage.

No. 1 St James's Place, attached to the left, has a 20th-century bay window and 20th-century glazed door in a plain reveal with pennant-step and large three-light plate glass window. The first floor is mostly concealed above the canopy but reveals a six-over-six sash in a plain reveal with stone sill and wrought iron balconette to the left.

No. 2 St James's Place is a two-storey three-window range attached to the left. The first floor has three plate glass horned sashes in plain reveals with stone sills. The ground floor has a six-over-six sash in a plain reveal with stone sill to the right, its lower part blocked, a 20th-century glazed door to the centre, and 20th-century two and three-light windows to the left. A band course runs over the ground floor, continuous with No. 1 St James's Place.

The canopy is the most distinctive feature. Its front to St James's Street displays a pediment with an elaborately carved tympanum supported by heavily carved console brackets. Behind, the roof features light wrought iron trusses largely glazed but with ceiling panels of elaborate decoration below the apex, supported by pairs of carved pendentives on carved console brackets to the frieze. The rear section of the roof runs in the opposite direction and lacks ceiling panels. Ranks of wrought iron bars on cast iron brackets and butcher's hooks are attached below the canopy to No. 3 St James's Street and No. 1 St James's Place.

The interior was not inspected during the listing survey. Past site visits have recorded the survival of marble and wooden chimney-pieces. The upper floors were converted to a maisonette in 1981.

Nos 1 and 2 St James's Place are not considered of special interest beyond their role in providing structural support for the glazed canopy, which represents an exceptional survival of Victorian specialised retail architecture.