No. 12 and Attached Railings

No. 12 Russell Street is a house, dating from approximately 1771-1773, and now converted into flats. It was designed by John Wood the Younger and was developed as part of Russell Street, alongside the Assembly Rooms and the east end of Rivers Street. The development took place on what was formerly Russell’s Close, purchased by Wood and his trustee, Andrew Sproule, from Thomas and Daniel Omer.

The front of the building is constructed of limestone ashlar, with rubble to the basement plinth and ashlar to the rear. It has a double-pile, parapeted mansard roof, covered with Welsh slate to the front and artificial slate to the rear, along with a coped party wall to the right and two ashlar stacks featuring some early clay pots. A staircase is located at the rear.

The house is three storeys high, with an attic and basement, and features a three-window front. The first floor has three two-over-two sash windows within ovolo moulded architraves, incorporating splayed jambs with friezes and cornices, and lowered moulded stone sills supported on cut-down console brackets with wrought iron balconettes. The second floor features two plate glass sashes in similar architraves with stone sills. On the ground floor, there are two plate glass two-over-two sashes to the right, and a six-panel door with a flush beaded, fielded panel and single glazing, set within a cyma moulded architrave bordered by flat surrounds and heavy console brackets that support a moulded cornice forming a hood. A single step leads to a crossover paved with three large Pennant slabs, which includes a 19th-century cast iron footscraper. The basement has two two-light casements in plain reveals with stone sills, a 20th-century door, and limestone area steps with Pennant inserts to the treads, with a part wrought iron handrail. Two dormers with plate glass sashes in moulded architraves are visible in the roof. Other external features include a band course above the ground floor, a modillion eaves cornice, and a coped parapet, which has been lowered in front of each dormer. The partially visible rear elevation includes plate glass sashes and an ashlar extension projecting from the staircase up to the second-floor landing.

The interior of the building has not been inspected. Attached to the property are wrought iron railings and a gate, set on limestone bases with shaped heads.