The Avenue Arcade

The Avenue Arcade is a house that has been converted into a shopping arcade, dating from the late 18th century to early 19th century, with the arcade transformation occurring in the late 19th century. It is built of Flemish-bond brick and features stone coping, a cornice, and moulded keyed lintels and cills. The building has three storeys and a symmetrical three-window range. All windows are 6/6-pane sashes, with the first-floor windows being larger. The entrance to the arcade is set back and flanked by plate-glass shop windows.

The rear elevation, facing Clare Street, has a hipped pantile roof on the right side and flat brick arches over 8/8-pane sash windows on the first floor. The ground floor was remodelled in the late 19th century, featuring granite columns with Corinthian capitals supporting a moulded fascia above the plate-glass shop windows.

Inside the arcade, the shops are defined by narrow paired pilasters on simulated granite plinths and have moulded cornices on the fascias. The plate-glass windows, including those at the rear, have narrow horizontal bands of pierced cast iron at the tops and are panelled below. The doors are glazed, with horizontal moulded panels at the bases and plain overlights. The ceiling of the arcade is panelled at the ends, with a 20th-century glazed pitched roof in the centre. A photograph from 1905 shows that the High Street entrance originally had similar Corinthian columns.