NOS. 10, 11, AND 12

Nos. 10, 11, and 12 are a group of three terraced houses built between 1788 and 1790 by Thomas Baldwin for Sir William Johnstone Pulteney. They are constructed of limestone ashlar with Welsh slate roofs.

The houses are double depth, with stepped party walls linking them to No. 15 Johnstone Street and No. 8 Argyle Street. Each house is four bays wide, forming a thirteen-bay architectural composition, with one bay extending into No. 8 Argyle Street. The ground floor is rusticated, topped by a band course supporting giant fluted Corinthian pilasters, which are spaced widely and enclose the two upper storeys. The facade is articulated in a one:three:one:three:one:three:one pattern, with a pilaster on either side of each single window. Plain doorways are located in bays one, eight, and twelve, each featuring a six-panel door with a rectangular window above. Wrought-iron area railings are present. A wreathed and pedimented head sits above the central first-floor window of each house, supported by double consoles. Sill bands are present on both upper floors. The windows are late 18th-century six/six sashes, mostly restored, except those in the basement of No. 11. A cornice, parapet, and mansard roof are present, with a higher ridge line on Nos. 10 and 11. There are eleven flat-topped dormers, housing six/six sashes in Nos. 10 and 12, one/one sashes in No. 11, and two/two sashes in No. 8 Argyle Street. Dormers numbers one, four, five, six, nine, and eleven are double-dormered. Stone stacks with pots are also visible.

The rear elevation is of rubble construction and shows evidence of considerable rebuilding. No. 10 has an additional attic storey with roof lights. Plain plate glass sashes are present on Nos. 11 and 12. The interiors were not inspected.

Laura Place, named after Henrietta Laura Pulteney, Sir William's daughter, was originally planned as an irregular octagon connecting four streets. It contains four terraces of houses, of which these form one. The development was intended to create a balanced composition, continuing the style and detail of the adjacent Great Pulteney Street. The unusual lozenge-shaped plan created a generous urban space and served as a prelude to Great Pulteney Street. The evolving elevations reflect the influence of Robert Adam on town architecture.