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Appraisal

Nos. 50a-56 Earlham Street, part of the Seven Dials Warehouse

Like the series of buildings on the opposite site of the street, nos. 42-56 (even) Earlham Street, form northern side of the group of substantially scaled, mid-19^th century, London Stock brick-faced, former brewery buildings. Formally (grade II) listed as nos. 42-54 (even), Earlham Street and nos. 27-33 (odd), Shelton Gardens, the group comprises a series of conjoined, five and six-storey buildings of similar scale and character extending for some sixteen bays along the street.

Nos. 50-56, Earlham Street is composed of the rear elevation of nos. 31-33, Shelton Street. These massive buildings were once occupied by the brewery's ice machine house for cooling the porter, a Boulton & Watt steam engine, and the building department. They were described in 1889 as 'noble blocks of London stock brick'. After the departure of the brewery in 1905 they became the works of Leppard & Smith, Printers. The street-elevations possess a distinctly robust, industrial character – the window and other openings have segmental, brick-arched heads – many double-arched at ground floor level. A brick cornice runs along the length of the buildings above the third floor windows, with one or two additional storeys above.

The buildings have been successfully converted to a mix of uses while retaining their external appearance. The iron hoists and the boarded, glazed, timber-framed hoist-doors and hinged-flaps at high level together with the springing points of the former ironwork bridge that once crossed the street are interesting historic features.

Various alterations in the fenestration have resulted in a patchy surface to some of the the brickwork. Most regrettably, some several bays of the London Stock brickwork at ground floor level have been overpainted in black and in red and one bay (no. 50A) between, in light grey. This bay is also damaged by a particularly unattractive externally illuminated fascia-sign and a projecting, internally-illuminated box-sign.

A listed complex of former industrial buildings of particular special architectural and historic interest and considerable townscape value contributing substantially to the character, appearance and significance of the Seven Dials Conservation Area.

The fascia and projecting signs on no. 50a are a serious disfigurement and should be removed - the local planning authority should take appropriate enforcement and discontinuance action to secure removal.