29 Queen Square

29 Queen Square is a large, attached house dating from 1709-11. Constructed in brick with limestone dressings, it features brick stacks and a pantile double-pile roof. The building follows a double-depth plan with short rear wings and is an early example of Georgian architecture in a naive Palladian style.

The three-storey house, with a basement and attic, presents a five-window front. It is symmetrical, with quoins extending to an overhanging timber modillion cornice and boxed eaves. Superimposed orders of Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian engaged columns flank the central bay and sit within the quoins. The doorway is distinguished by carved acanthus brackets supporting a flat canopy with a panelled soffit and moulded bedmould. A semicircular-arched opening, featuring a fluted transom, grotesque key, draped roundels, and a six-panel door (the top four panels raised), provides access. Ground and first-floor windows are arranged with alternate segmental and triangular pediments, linked by a string course. All windows have rubbed brick arches with grotesque keys and wavy arrises to the first and second floors. The middle window of the second floor has a fluted arch, and all windows contain nine-over-four pane sashes in exposed, slightly recessed frames.

The rear elevation features shallow, projecting wings. It has cambered heads with stepped voussoirs over six-over-six pane sashes with thick bars. A left-hand doorway is marked by large brackets supporting a canopy, and a large semicircular-arched stairwell light is also present.

The interior is largely complete, with extensive panelling to reception rooms, bedrooms, and dressing rooms on the ground and first floors. The entrance hall is divided by an elliptical arch featuring a winged cupid key, leading to an open dogleg staircase with rocaille brackets, barleysugar balusters, a curtail, and fluted newels. Service stairs, with winder sections at the top and bottom and barleysugar balusters, flank the central landing. The front right-hand room on the ground floor is divided by an elliptical arch, and features an eared fire surround with a hob grate. Similar surrounds are found in rooms on the ground and first floors, with bolection moulded surrounds to the second floor. The basement contains parallel segmental-arched vaults.

Built as part of Queen Square, laid out in 1699 and considered one of the largest squares in England, 29 Queen Square is notable for its naive application of classical decorative elements. The square’s construction occurred between 1701 and 1727, with leases of varied width and similar designs.

A minor amendment to this listing was made on 1 September 2017.