72 Church Road, Gloucester House

This building appears (from Church Road , the South. elevation) as a typical Georgian town house, of three storeys and a basement, it has significant extensions to the rear North elevation. The south elevation shows a six bay, brick (mortar) building with a Flemish Bond with a slate roof double pitched North-South behind a parapet. There are three transverse chimney stacks (probably heightened), one at each end and one in the middle. One pot visible on stack at East. end. There are two single entrances. The one to the West end may replace a window and is less typical of the period; it is eight panel with three part fanlight and keystone. The door to the centre is more typically Georgian: three steps, eight panel, Doric pilasters and pediment.

On the second floor has sash windows with brick lintels, painted stone sills and key stones. The first floor has similar windows to second, but sills are within a string course; each window has a wrought iron ‘imitation’ balcony. The ground floor has sash windows with painted shaped stone sills. Quoin stones (rusticated ?) appear at each end and there are four string courses, the basement one being different to the others. Basement blocked-up with only small parts of windows visible. Iron railings mounted on shaped kerb stones mark the frontage. Iron signs, lamps and rainwater pipes from hopper at base of parapet. There are two ornamental iron pattress plates indicate tie bars. At the rear the north elevation of the main building has two windows on ground floor with brick lintels, and painted stone sills, a further two on the first floor. The second floor has two window and one, the latter having a central slide opening.

Between the ground and first floor, on the left is a Venetian style window of six sections and possibly more recent glazing/bars. There are two small outbuildings below the Venetian window. There are prominent extensions to the north elevation on the east and west sides the latter extending to the property limit. The east extension (two parts) shows similar features in brickwork, chimney and windows (brick lintels, painted stone sills and sashes). The gable roof is pitched East-West and asymmetric. A round window within triangular string course is on west facing elevation. The east facing elevation has tie bars and one window. North elevation has render, fire escape and lean-to(with asbestos roof, heating/ventilation unit). Boundary wall has two bricked-up doors, single and double, with wooden lintels and much altered brickwork. The West extension (three parts) also shows similar brickwork, windows etc. Kneelers present. Latest extension possibly early Victorian.