Officers’ Terrace with attached office wing and basement area railings

Officers' Terrace with attached office wing and basement area railings

A pair of houses and attached offices forming the surviving part of the Officers' Terrace at Plymouth Dock, later Devonport Royal Naval Dockyard. Built 1692-1695 by Edward Dummer, Surveyor to the Naval Board, the buildings have been subsequently extended, mainly in the 19th century, and altered in the 20th century.

The buildings are constructed of brick, now rendered, with slate roofs. The surviving structures comprise the two most northerly houses of the former terrace, facing west over the yard, with an attached office wing projecting westward from the northern end.

The two surviving houses are each of four bays. The central four bays break forward under a pediment bearing a naval coat of arms. The entrance doors are contained in the outer bays of this central section, set within early-19th-century Doric porches with half-glazed doors. The corners of the houses have quoins, and a deep modillion cornice runs across the whole elevation. The windows are sashes with horns: six-over-six to the ground and first floors, each with a projecting keystone above, and three-over-three to the second floor. Projecting stringcourses separate the floors. The roof of the left-hand house retains its original pitch, while that of the right-hand house has been rebuilt at a lower pitch. Two chimney stacks are present, one central and one at the left side.

The office wing projects forward from the terrace and rises two storeys, with four sash windows to the upper floor and a central segmental pediment above containing the royal coat of arms. A projecting porch covers most of the ground floor; this appears largely to be of 20th-century construction but may re-use earlier fabric in its supporting piers. The end of the office wing has two sash windows to each floor.

The southern end elevation of the terrace, exposed following wartime bombing, is now slate-hung with projections showing chimney stacks and three modern casement windows. To the rear, the right-hand house has been extended, probably in the early 19th century, and this extension appears originally to have been flat-roofed, with the pitched section constructed after Second World War bombing. It has sash windows of varying sizes to each floor and a curved cornice above, together with a modern metal stair rising from ground to second floor. A connecting block of part single-storey, part two-storey construction links the rear of the house with a two-storey pitched-roof block at the rear, all with sash windows and external doors. A small lean-to block occupies the rear corner of the yard.

The rear of the northern house has sash windows to the original rear wall with dormer windows in the roof above, and a two-storey flat-roofed block connecting to a pitched-roof block of one and a half storeys at the rear, also with sash windows and external doors.

To the north, the office wing has a canted bay window with a central door at ground floor level and a projecting stringcourse between ground and first floor. This bay is flanked by tall chimneys and irregular fenestration. To the left is a wall enclosing an internal yard with blind arcading and some windows, and a large flat-roofed dormer above. The end of the office wing extends to enclose the yard and has a single sash window.

Interior

The two houses are now connected internally. The right-hand house layout appears mostly to result from 19th-century reconfiguration. The entrance opens into a hall with a 19th-century stair with handrail supported on turned balusters and panelled lower section; to the right is the former dining room with a buffet recess under a panelled archway. Beyond this is a small room with a curved corner wall and an inner hall beyond lit by a lightwell. Rooms beyond in the link block were originally kitchen, scullery and similar spaces. Surviving doors, doorframes and skirting are present throughout, with some modern replacements. The main stair rises in an open-well to the first and second floors, which also retain some doors, surrounds and skirting. At the head of the stair to the attic, a section of brick wall in English bond is exposed, appearing to be the original rear wall of the building, with the later extension beyond.

The interior of the left-hand house appears mostly to result from 1930s reconfiguration. The entrance hall has panelled walls with cornicing above; some of this may be original and re-used. The stair is mostly in its original configuration although the lowest flight has been re-orientated, and appears to retain some original handrails, newel posts and other features. The panelling at the upper levels of the staircase may be original. Each floor retains some doors and door surrounds, skirting and some cornicing. The original roof structure is partially exposed at attic level.

The interior of the office building appears to have been reconfigured a number of times and now has an irregular layout. Historic plans suggest originally four rooms to each floor, divided by chimney stacks, with a winder stair in one of the rooms. The present stair appears to be of 20th-century date. Panelled doors are present throughout and some boarded doors survive in a rear service room; the main rooms at the front of the ground floor have fireplaces with modern surrounds and cast iron backs which may be historic. A small section of panelling survives in an upper floor corridor.

Subsidiary features include basement area railings to the front of the terrace with diagonal cross bars, which may be contemporary with the added porches. A further set of area railings with decorative urn finials survives to the north of the office wing.