Castle Chambers

4-4a Palace Street Pair of 3-storeyed shops with offices above; 3-storeyed, each a 2-window range. Scribed stucco and slate roof on bracketed eaves, with brick central stack and rendered stack to the R. Both shops retain elements of their C19 fronts. These are framed by pilasters which are brick to the lower half and rendered to the upper half above a central raised field. The fascia has gabled end-brackets with fretwork ornament, above moulded consoles (missing to the L-hand end). No 4a to the L has a deep dentil cornice to its original fascia, visible behind an added fascia. No 4 also retains original fascia behind the present fascia, although details are obscured. No 4a has a plate glass shop window with turned mahogany posts which are arched at the top and have spandrels with foliage in relief, and a plain stallboard. The central recessed doorway and the doorway at the L end have overlights, with half-lit panelled door to the shop and panelled door to the upper storeys. No 4 has panelled doors incorporating a raised field to the lower panel, under overlights, to the R and L, with 2-light shop window between. In the middle storey are 4-pane sash windows with moulded architraves, linked by a rich band decorated with relief foliage. The upper storey has a sill band, with 4-pane sash windows to No 4a and 2-pane sash windows to No 4. Bounding the yard at the rear of 4a Palace Street is a wall comprising a series of 3 high arches supported on slender piers. Roughly squared stone work, including voussoirs to the arches, with traces of lime-wash or render. The fair face of the wall faces away from Palace Street, whilst the piers to the inner face onto the yard are roughly toothed, suggesting that there were originally a series of vaulted passage-ways opening out onto a rear yard or garden.