Melrose Cottages

Melrose Cottages is a terrace of four houses built in the 1843-45 period, possibly designed by George Gay. The houses are rendered with limestone dressings, with party wall stacks, and a concealed roof. They follow a double-depth plan and are in a late Georgian style.

Each house stands two stories high with a basement and has two windows. The terrace is a composed arrangement of two-handed pairs, with pilasters framing the outer doorways and to the party walls. A frieze, cornice, and parapet run along the top, ramping up at the ends and in the centre. Steps lead up to the outer doorways, which have paired pilasters to an entablature. Each doorway has an overlight with margin bars and a two-panel door; No. 45 has a lantern above the door. The large ground-floor windows have pilasters to an entablature and 10/10-pane sashes. Second-floor windows are 6/6-pane sashes with architraves, and smaller windows are positioned above the doors with panelled aprons. Basement windows have sashes.

The interior features an entrance hall leading to a central stair hall with an open-well staircase, stick balusters, urn newels, a ramped rail, and a small room between the stair and the party wall. Stone fireplaces have fluted sides and roundels, with baskets featuring Greek Revival decoration. Cornices are decorated with palmettes, and there are six-panel doors with panelled shutters.

The houses are considered one of Gay's earlier terraces and display characteristic details, such as paired pilasters and raised lintels.