Love's Auction Rooms, 52-54 Canal Street

Probably A G Heiton, 1905 in current form, incorporating (or on footprint of) earlier 19th century fabric; extended to rear earlier to mid 20th century. Rare, finely-detailed neo-Tudor façade to tall 2-storey, 6-bay, L-plan auction room incorporating original 1905 wrought iron and copper sign by N & E Spittle of Birmingham, some coloured leaded glass, centre covered court with flanking stores and offices to N front; polychrome bands to tall circular brick stalk rising on square rubble base at roof height, and further stores to S. Stugged squared rubble with droved quoins and mock half-timbering in chevron, square, cross and diamond patterns. Moulded segmental-arched voussoired doorpiece; relieving arches, chamfered arrises, raked cills, stone and timber mullions and timber transoms. Mostly bipartite and 4-light windows.

Principal N elevation with broad centre doorway and 2-leaf timber door multi-panelled and boarded with trefoil detail at top panels and large cast iron hinges; jettied 1st floor centre bays on moulded timber brackets with 'LOVE' at centre gablehead; flanking gableheads also jettied with pargeting below half-timbering.

Multi-pane glazing patterns throughout, N elevation with smaller panes to upper lights, in timber and metal frames. Grey slates, some roofs piended. Deeply overhanging eaves with exposed rafters, decorative bargeboards, and decorative ironwork finals.

INTERIOR: simple, largely unaltered interior retaining office door with etched glass panel, some timbered walls and boarded ceilings with decorative cast iron ventilators. Full-height centre court with cast iron columns now with 1st floor infill. Arcaded wall to side store with full height multi-pane infill. Valuables room (appearing on 1905 plan with heating chamber to SE angle, at base of stalk) with full width brick shelf beneath stone slab top.