No. 13 and Attached Railings

No. 13 is a house, now flats, dating from approximately 1771-1773. It was designed by John Wood the Younger as part of the development of Russell Street, alongside the Assembly Rooms and Rivers Street. The front of the building is constructed of limestone ashlar, with rubble to the basement plinth and rear. It has a double-pile, parapeted mansard roof covered with artificial slate, a coped party wall, and two rebuilt ashlar stacks to the right.

The house is three storeys high, plus an attic and basement. It features a three-window front. The first floor has three plate glass windows with horned sashes, set within splayed, ovolo moulded architraves, friezes, and cornices, supported by lowered moulded stone sills on cut down console brackets. The second floor mirrors this design. On the ground floor, there are two plate glass windows with horned sashes within splayed reveals, stone sills, and a six-panel door with flush beaded, fielded, and glazed panels. The door has a cast iron ring knocker and a Pennant stone step. A cyma moulded architrave with a flat surround and heavy console brackets supports a projecting moulded cornice above the door, which provides a hood. A single step leads to a Pennant paved crossover, where part of a damaged wrought iron footscraper remains. Basement windows consist of two six/six-sashes with plain reveals and stone sills, a C18th glazed door under the crossover partially infilled with ashlar, and a blocked four-pane overlight. Limestone area steps with Pennant inserts form the treads. Two dormers, one double and one single, have six/six-sashes. Other external details include a band course over the ground floor, a modillion eaves cornice, and a coped parapet. Lead hopperheads and downpipes are present; the one on the left is shared with No. 14 Russell Street. A link horn is attached to the right of the front door.

The rear elevation, partially visible, has six/six-sashes to the second floor and dormers. A C20th glazed door has been inserted at first-floor level, and plate glass sashes are found on the first floor and second half-landing of the staircase. The interior was not inspected during the listing process.

Attached to the front are wrought iron railings with a simple lamp standard next to the front door and gate, incorporating shaped heads on limestone bases. Russell Street developed through Wood’s work from land bought from Thomas and Daniel Omer in 1768.