Appraisal

Nos 5 and 7, Monmouth Street

Both nos. 5 and 7, Monmouth Street are wholly inadequate rebuildings of the original historic properties. Four storeys high with mansarded attic storeys above. Whilst faced in pale and darker London Stock brick, laid to Flemish and English bond, with two, traditionally-detailed, arched window openings at each floor level, the windows at each floor level comprise, modern, stained timber, top hung casement windows, above unduly thin, pre-cast concrete cills, rather than traditionally detailed, subdivided sash-windows.

It is not to the credit of the local planning authority that no effort went into securing something better that would have enhanced the conservation area.

The modern shopfronts are poorly designed and made in inappropriate dark varnished hardwood. No. 5 has a flat fascia board, without a cornice, located immediately below the cills of the first floor level window openings carrying poorly designed applied lettering and above what appears to be a permanently extended, plastic, projecting blind. A poorly designed, externally- illuminated projecting sign is located at low level at the right hand end of the shopfront.

No. 7 has a traditional detailed glass fascia with gilded lettering but no cornice, lit externally with three, crude strip lights. An externally illuminated, projecting sign is located at high level at the right hand end.

Unlisted properties of only modest townscape value contributing to the character, appearance and significance of the Seven Dials Conservation Area.

There is clearly scope for the enhancement of the properties by the replacement of the existing top-hung, casement windows with traditionally detailed, subdivided sash windows, the ‘soot washing’ of the brickwork, and the compete replacement of the existing shopfronts and projecting signs with properly proportioned and detailed new shopfronts and signs.