Description

HARWICH

TM2632SW KING'S QUAY STREET
609-1/3/64 (South East side)
20/06/72 (Consecutive)
Nos.1-7 (Consecutive) Government
House Flats and boundary walls

GV II

Large house, now flats. Late C18 or early C19. Red-brown
Flemish-bond brickwork and Welsh slate hipped roofs.
PLAN: part 2-storey and part 3-storey with single-storey
outhouse at NW corner. L-plan form with yard in internal
angle, enclosed by high wall to King's Quay Street returning
to enclosed garden to NE, behind St Helen's Green.
EXTERIOR: main NE front has 2-storey elevation, with plain
parapet, raised cornice band of Gault brick and 5-window range
of double-hung sashes (12 panes) with stone sills and flat
rubbed brick arches. The southernmost first-floor window is
blind. Ground floor has C19 projecting, flat-roofed enclosed
porch, standing on former platform with 2 lateral flights of
stone steps. The original entrance now partially screened, has
wide segmental rubbed brick arched window (Diocletian-type).
Concealed by porch is 6-panel door with 4 flush panels and 2
glazed and narrow panelled side parts infilling wide opening.
South-east elevation is of 3 storeys with dentilled brick
eaves, box gutter. Second floor has 6 square double-hung sash
windows with rubbed brick arches and 2 vertical glazing bars.
Also two C20 small windows. First floor has 5 double-hung sash
windows with rubbed brick arches and small panes. Ground floor
has 3 double-hung sash windows with small panes, a
contemporary door opening and 3 small windows. Lean-to
2-storey extension, off-centre on this front.
NW elevation is similar to SE but has random placed
double-hung sash windows and doors. Rendered 2-storey
extension on NW corner of front range. Single-storey
wash-house attached to NW corner with hipped roof with stump
of stack and some clay pantiles and clay plain tiles.
INTERIOR: now much subdivided but has well staircase, wreathed
hardwood handrail, stick balusters and shaped tread ends. Many
contemporary panelled doors, some with panelled architraves.
Windows have internal folding shutters. Contemporary plaster
cornices now interrupted by introduced partitions. C19
fireplace in first-floor flat with double mantel shelf and
downward tapering pilasters.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Robert Adam designed a castle-like house for
this site in 1778 for local MP John Robinson. The present
building bears little relation to this proposal and was
possibly a more economical substitute. The abrupt change
between 2 and 3 storeys at the east corner results in 2 upper
floor windows with partition just behind glass and first floor
concealed behind upper part of lower sash windows. This may be
for purely visual reasons rather than remnant of earlier
build.

Listing NGR: TM2602032803

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26570053

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)