London House (Recently Barclays Bank)

This is a four-storey and cellar commercial building, likely dating from the 18th century. It is constructed of coursed rubble masonry with lacing courses at each floor level. The building has gently pitched slate roofs, which are hipped to the north and south sides, with overhanging eaves. There are two gablets on the east side, each featuring stone stacks with water tabling, and a massive rectangular stone stack in the centre with similar water tabling.

The principal, three-bay window elevation faces south towards Eldon Square. The third floor has a shallow tripartite sash window set under the eaves, featuring a six-pane centre sash. The second and ground floors have tripartite sashes, each with a six-pane centre sash. Stone lintels are present above all windows. The ground floor has a colourwashed, Classical façade with a cornice incorporating an advanced pediment on consoles and blocking courses, and a plain entablature. A narrow, sunk panelled doorcase has a moulded architrave. A 20th-century rectangular fanlight and doors are present. Tuscan pilasters flank the windows on either side of the doorway. Modern fenestration is visible. The left corner of the elevation is canted back.

The four-window elevation to the east side has shallow, six-pane sash windows to the third floor. Two windows on the left are dummies with painted glazing bars. Stone lintels are present. The second floor has six-pane sashes, with one dummy window to the extreme left. Similar fenestration is present on the ground floor, except that the second from the right window is a tripartite sash. Two twelve-pane sashes are found on the ground floor to the right, with cellar openings below. A tripartite window is positioned alongside another window under a single lintel to the left. Modern fenestration is evident throughout.

The rear elevation, facing Queen’s Square, is two-window wide. The third floor has an eight-pane sliding sash window to the right and a dummy window to the left, both with stone lintels. The second floor has a six-pane sash window to the left and a dummy to the right, with a corresponding layout on the ground floor, where a six-pane sash is on the right and a partially blocked window with modern glazing is on the left, with a cellar opening directly below the ground floor sash.

The west elevation features an advanced gabled bay to the left of the centre. The left corner of the main building is canted back. A loading door is offset to the right of the gable end of the advanced bay. Two twelve-pane sash windows are present on the second floor to the right, while the advanced bay has a six-pane sash. Stone lintels are seen above the windows. The ground floor has a similar layout, with a twelve-pane sash to the canted flank of the advanced bay, a modern window to the ground floor right, and a doorway adjoining to the left. A three-pane rectangular fanlight is set above a part-glazed modern door. A six-pane sash window is present within the advanced bay, along with a brace plate. Two cellar openings, with iron grilles, are visible. A nine-pane sash window is found in the canted flank. A blocked door is located to the extreme left of the main building, and a cobbled apron is in place.