Re: Re: ‘Dutch Billys’

Another charmer of an early house is located a little further down at No. 48. This delightful narrow house appears to be the same sliver of a building depicted by Rocque. Probably of c. 1740 date, the squat windows at attic level are a curious feature, reminiscent of the suspect transitional houses on Kildare Street. All windows retain exposed sash boxes, including at basement level.

The beautiful original doorcase with primitive early fanlight. One of the best doors in Dublin.

Corner chimneystacks appear to feature in this house (and as seen from above), and while the roof form seen here suggests transitional, it just may be modern. There seems to be a vacant flat expanse between the two pitches in aerial views.

Sadly this house is also gutted.

One happy consequence of having to retake the photographs today is a little revelation in one of the mews buildings along Lotts. It came about as a result of taking this wide shot to the rear of the earlier house at No. 50 (the other gutted one). Anything stand out?

The joys of desktop analysis. We have no less than a very early 18th century window, complete with chunky glazing bars and square joints, clinging on for dear life to what appears to be an equally early 18th century wall! Even the glass appears to be the original crowns!

The timbers embedded in the wall pretty much confirm this was a substantial inhabited structure of some kind, though the joist holes are more than likely later. Alas, the position of the wall does not tally with Rocque’s depiction of the plot – there is however a long building on the adjacent plot on his map so perhaps it is that.

This could well be the earliest window in this entire quarter of the city.

There are other curious goings-on around here, including the remnants of this stone mews building.

And this, the very last mews building in near-pristine original condition on Lotts.

There are other early houses further down the street closer to O’Connell Street which could do with a good root around inside.