Lombard House

Lombard House is an office building, originally a row of houses, dating to circa 1770, although some details suggest a slightly earlier construction. It is part of St James’s Parade, originally known as Thomas Street, which was developed from 1765 onwards by Richard Jones, Thomas Jelly, and Henry Fisher, who were granted permission to build new houses. The street was originally closed off with bollards and fronted a paved walkway. The elevations were likely influenced by the work of John Wood the Younger, as seen in other locations.

The building is constructed of limestone ashlar and rubble, with a concrete tile roof. It has a lozenge-shaped block with a mansard roof, its principal frontage facing St James's Parade, joining minor streets at an acute angle. The building has three storeys and an attic. The front has two facets; all windows are sash windows containing plate glass. To the left is a broad single bay with a small dormer window above paired windows on each floor, a display window with a fascia supported on brackets, and a six-panel door with a transom light. The returned end on the left is rendered, following the demolition of an adjoining property. The right side features a three-bay frontage at an obtuse angle to the first bay, with two dormers above three evenly spaced sash windows per floor. The ground floor has a shop front, and a central 20th-century door replaces a former panelled door and transom light. A display window replacing a former door sits on the far left, and there is a full-width fascia over the display windows, supported by three pairs of brackets. Deep ashlar stacks with skirt and cornice moulding are located far left and at each end of the long front. A very narrow splayed return leads to the rear, which is constructed of rubble with dressings, and includes one offset with no openings. A return at the far end has a plain sash window facing into a small courtyard. The interior has not been inspected. Following bomb damage and subsequent redevelopment, the parade was initially threatened, but ultimately preserved. No. 30 is less ornate than other houses in the parade, with smaller window openings, suggesting a potentially earlier date. Previously, the building had a slate roof and glazing bar sash windows.