Windsor Arcade Building

The Windsor Arcade Building is a three-storey block of shops and offices constructed in a Free Classical style, dating from the 18th century. The front facade is faced in ashlar and features a central arcade flanked by retail spaces. The design emphasizes horizontal lines through the application of cornices and deep bands between the floors, with a blind balustraded band to the second floor. Pilasters divide the seven bays; these are Tuscan, part-fluted to the second floor and fluted Corinthian to the first floor. Paired pilasters are found at the ends and flanking the central bay, with carved figureheads on the first-floor pilasters. A pedimented treatment tops the arcade, incorporating pilasters, volute brackets, finials, and a small pediment above a central roundel filled with a keystone flanked by date stone panels, and the words ‘Windsor Arcade’ below. The second floor has horned sash windows with lugged architraves and keystones; the first floor features segmental-headed tripartite windows with keystones, a Venetian-derived design to the central bay with a pediment over the central round-arched light. The ground floor has an overall cornice with fluted paired brackets and panelled pilasters to the ends. The shop to the left (Joyell) retains curved windows with colonnettes, a splayed entrance, and a leaded glazed overlight.

The central arcade has a square-headed entrance. The three bays at either end of the arcade have flat panelled ceilings. Between these bays is a steeply arched roof with ribs springing from pilasters flanking each shop front; the top of the roof is glazed and has a narrow raised clerestory to provide light to the arcade. The arcade slopes upwards towards the rear, and the roof steps up accordingly. There are five-panel doors, panelled pilasters, fluted brackets, and colonnettes to the restored shop fronts, arranged in alternating widths. The right-hand shop at the front has panelled reveals to the doorway and enriched plasterwork bands to the ceiling inside, carried on cast-iron columns. The rear of the arcade continues for a further bay with similar detailing, featuring a rounded corner entrance with double half-glazed doors and cast-iron columns. The rear of the main block is built in yellow brick, with pilasters dividing each bay and red brick band courses creating an apron between the first and second floors. It has cambered windows, paired to the second floor and mostly cross-frame to the first floor, with panelled pilasters at the ends. The east side is in rubble with red brick quoins and window dressings.