56 Monnow Street

Nos. 56 and 58 Monnow Street Street elevation. Stuccoed and painted, the slate roof is largely hidden from the street. Single depth central entrance plan backing onto the garden block with the staircases between. Three storeys over basement, five windows. Rusticated quoins, band at first and second floors. Central 6-panel fielded door (No. 58), fanlight and early C19 Doric portico. On each side are one-storey wings. That on the left also has a doorway (No. 56) with a pedimented case, fanlight and 6-panel door. On the right there is a small plain door in a moulded architrave (service door to No. 58). The windows are 6 over 6 pane early C19 sashes, but the first floor ones are flush framed while the ground floor ones are rebated. Three over 3 pane sashes to top floor. Moulded cornice and parapet, hipped roof with side stacks. The return elevations are also rendered and painted. The stair window to No. 58 is recessed in at the right. Garden elevation. This is a wider front with a more elaborate design. Red brick in Flemish bond with stucco details, Welsh slate roof. Palladian style. Single depth as it is back to back with the block fronting onto Monnow Street. Two storeys and attics over a basement, seven bays 2 + 3 + 2 with the centre set forward under a pediment. Rusticated quoins to the ends, centre, and central ground floor window, window keys and the surround to the pediment window are all stucco. Tall sashes to ground floor, 6 over 6 panes under rubbed brick heads. Central section has part glazed double doors with segmental heads flanking a wide feature with double doors and fanlight. The outer doors are at the top of flights of steps. These doors are an alteration dating from when the house was divided and originally the central feature was the garden door. Upper floor windows are all 6 over 6 pane sashes, the central ones all with segmental heads but with a flatter arch than the ones below. Heavy cornice, pediment with Diocletian window with triple keyed head. Hipped roof with two pedimented dormers. Tall brick stack on either wall and another in the centre. Return elevations are rendered and painted.

The interior has been altered in its conversion to newspaper offices but it retains some early C19 joinery, 6-panel doors and a open well stair with closed string, turned balusters and mahogany handrail. This could be the secondary staircase from the old house stripped out and replaced with new detail but to the same design type. There is an Adam style fireplace with fluted Corinthian half columns in the main ground floor room and two others (not seen) are reported. Upper rooms largely featureless but heavy principal rafter roof visible in part.