Appraisal

No. 15, Monmouth Street

A wide five-storey, early-20^th-century, red brick faced former warehouse building comprising three distinct bays at first, second, third and fourth floor levels, of good clean industrial design. The wide subdivided steel windows are defined by projecting chamfered brick piers and painted concrete lintels. It is possible that the deep, painted concrete ‘beam’ that spans across the full width of the property below the cills of the windows at first floor level between the robustly detailed consoles at each end once carried an original cornice and fascia. At ground floor level, the double-width bay to the left hand side is occupied by a shop, whilst the single-width bay to the right hand side forms an entrance to Neal’s Yard.

The well-proportioned shopfront is of simple modern design, appropriately painted black, which is in harmony with the straightforward honesty of the industrial architecture. The white-painted ‘beam’ above the shopfront carries neat, modern, applied lettering off-set from the face of the ‘beam’ and externally-illuminated, and a retractable, plain blue projecting blind. There is a non-illuminated projecting hanging-sign fixed to the brick pilaster at first floor level above the shopfront. The large bracketed, green painted, cast iron crane fixed to the brick pilaster at the right hand end of the frontage at first floor level and the bale it carries is a splendid incident in the street scene.

An unlisted property of particular townscape value contributing positively to the character, appearance and significance of the Seven Dials Conservation Area.