5, Fore Street

No 5 on Fore Street is a former office building dating from around 1864. It features an ornate Italianate design with a three-storey ashlar front and is seven windows wide. The façade has wide set back flanking pilasters, a modillion cornice, a blocking course, and a moulded listel above the second floor. There is a moulded band over the first floor that includes a panel with "Samuel Salter and Co." in raised letters, along with carved panels on the end pilasters. The ground floor has a dentil cornice and rusticated detailing, with vermiculated bases and quoins on the end pilasters, and a former wide entrance that has been converted into shops. The ground floor has three windows with struck voussoirs, which have been replaced by two shops. The only unaltered feature is the tall doorway to the left, which has a segmental head and a door with six raised and fielded panels. The second floor windows have shouldered lintels with carved rinceaux in the moulded reveals, palmette imposts, and plain keys. The first floor windows are round-headed with wide surrounds, keys, and beaded edges to the spandrels, separated by pilasters with cross-hatched caps. The rear of the building is made of red brick with an ashlar ground floor, ashlar bands, and grey brick dressings and quoins. It has projecting box eaves, shouldered lintels over the second floor windows, and round-headed first floor windows with cast iron glazing bars featuring join knops. Nos 1 to 9 on Fore Street form a group.