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Summary

Description

George Roberts and Son, 1870-75. Massive four and five storeys Italianate tenement (incorporating former hotel) turning corner with bow range. Polished cream sandstone ashlar facades; base course, unified cornice above ground floor; moulded architrave to first and second floor windows with moulded architraves and cill courses; first floor windows with cornices and plain tablet friezes; band course above second floor; third floor windows with plain architraves; bracketed cills; heavy corbelled cornice concealing guttering.

East (Commercial Wharf) elevation: four storeys and attic, eight bays; six central bays irregularly grouped in pairs with single windows at ground, door to centre right bay. Projecting end bays with raised cornice; tripartite windows to each floor, ashlar mullions, plain architraves; upper floors recessed between pilaster strips, band courses between floors; third floor lights round-headed with keystones. Box-dormer to inner left, skylights. Blank rubble return to south.

North (Commercial Street) elevation: four storeys and attic, 22 bays. At ground, two-bay shops with two-leaf panelled doors and two-pane plate glass window in roll-moulded frames, and four-leaf panelled tenement doors large rectangular fanlight and glazed doors beyond, all below unified cornice. Upper floors recessed between two-bay end pavilions; grouped from left as bay with tenement door, ten bays with five shops, bay with tenement door, six bays with three shops; pavilions with key-stoned round-headed windows at third floor and raised cornices. Decorative extended cast iron balcony between pavilions at first floor. Six segmental- headed dormers behind parapet.

Northwest (Sandport Street) elevation: two distinct phases; four-storey and attic, ten-bay north (earlier) range and five-storey and attic 12-bay south range fitted into same height; unified by shops, tenement doors and cornice at ground, and continuous cornice above top floor. Shops similar to above but with four-pane windows, single tenement doors.

North range: with three-bay curved corner to Commercial Street, bay with paired windows to right; large tenement door (as above) to centre bay, shops to remaining bays; three dormers and skylight. Six bays to right with mansard roof and box-dormers, outer bays bipartite; four shops at ground and tenement door at centre; first floor windows with cornices removed.

South range: at ground, four pairs of shops with two tenement doors between. Upper floors with no ornamentation except continuation of moulded cill course to first floor; nine north bays grouped in threes with closet windows at centre; three further bays to right; mansard roof with box dormers. Blocked doorcase with pilasters and pediment to right all that remains of further demolished range.

Rear elevations: coursed rubble, raised wallhead accommodating attic storey (apart from east end of Commercial Street range). Rear of Sandport Street notched, apparently to take bows of old graving dock, now filled-in.

Timber sash and case windows; plate glass with four-pane to single windows of northwest elevation. Grey slates, corniced ashlar stacks.

Interior: Commercial Street with fine open scale and platt common stairs; turned and blocked mahogany balusters and panelled posts. Flats not seen 1993.

Statement of Special Interest

Formerly contained the Commercial Hotel.

Statutory address revised in 2018. Previously listed as '1-12 (Inclusive nos) Commercial Street and 26-43 (Inclusive nos) Sandport Street (and Commercial Wharf); EH6 6JA and EH6 6EP respectively'.

References

Bibliography

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