Gloucester Row (Terrace) With Area Railings

Nos. 96 and 97 Gloucester Row, also known as Nos. 7-13 Esplanade, are two houses that form the central unit of a terrace built around 1790. The buildings are rendered with some painted brickwork and feature slate roofs. They are part of a larger terrace that originally consisted of eight houses, with this section being taller, as the parapet rises approximately 1 meter above the others. The property has a double roof with an internal valley gutter.

The exterior consists of three storeys, an attic, and a basement, with each level featuring three plain sash windows. There are two hipped dormers on the roof. The first-floor windows extend down to floor level and are accompanied by a balcony, while the ground-floor windows are arched and set in rustication with voussoirs. To the left of each ground-floor window is an arched opening that leads to a six-panel fielded door topped with a fanlight (the one for No. 97 is plain), accessed via five plus two nosed steps.

A full-width verandah from the 1820s is supported by paired cast-iron brackets and features a decorative balustrade, along with vertical decorative standards that hold a tent hood. The buildings also have a moulded cornice, blocking course, and parapet, along with six brick chimney stacks.

Although the interior has not been inspected, each house retains its original spearhead railings and returns, as well as a gate leading to stone steps down to the basements. This pair of houses is largely as originally built, except for the loss of some glazing bars.