Numbers 22-29 And Attached Forecourt Walls And Railings

Numbers 22-29 and attached forecourt walls and railings are a group of four pairs of houses built around 1829 by John Foulston, situated on Athenaeum Street near the Hoe in Plymouth. They are a good example of early 19th-century terraced house design within an important planned group.

The houses are constructed of stucco with stucco detailing, likely over a rubble base. The roofs are dry slate to number 23 (the second from the left), and asbestos slate to the others, hidden behind a parapet with a moulded cornice. Segmental-roofed attic dormers are present on numbers 24 and 27, with other dormers being modified or later additions. Brick end stacks are visible. The houses have a double-depth plan with a basement.

The exterior is two storeys high plus an attic, with each pair presenting a symmetrical four-window front, the central section broken forward. Surviving original stucco detailing includes channelled rustication to the ground floor of numbers 24, 25 and 30; the others have a simple impost string. Recessed panels feature on the ground floor, alongside sill strings and moulded architraves to the first floor of numbers 25-30. Original hornless sash windows remain at number 24, though some glazing bars are missing; the other windows are 20th-century replacements. The interiors have not been inspected, but may retain original features.

The forecourt walls and bridges leading to the entrances feature wrought-iron railings with arrow-head finials and stanchions topped with flaming-urn finials. Original iron gates with anthemion decoration are present on numbers 24-29. The street suffered damage during the Blitz but remains a significant example of early 19th-century terraced housing.