10 Mosley Street

10 Mosley Street is a three‐storeyed brick building with a pitched roof of slate. In the
rear third of the plot the building rises to one storey and the space above this forms
a light well for this building and its neighbours. Its last use was as a shop called Air
Guitars. The front elevation faces north‐west onto Mosley Street, where the ground floor is covered by a timber and glass shop front. Above this the wall is rendered and painted; the render is drawn to create the appearance of ashlar. On the first floor there is a large triple window with mullions and transoms. Two squarish sashes light the second floor. A simple cornice tops the wall and there are no skylights or dormers in the roof above. The rear elevation is cement rendered. There are large modern wood‐framed windows at first and second‐floor level, each with a glazed door leading to a steel fire escape in the light well. The flat felted roof over the rear part of the ground floor has three modern skylights. A narrow brick extension attached to the rear wall contains the kitchen and toilets; this is first shown on a plan of 1930. This opens off the staircase at the north‐east corner of the building and has a flat concrete roof. There are two rooms under the shop and a smaller room under the pavement; there are smaller rooms under the staircase. The larger room at the front of the building is cement‐rendered. In the north‐west wall there is a blocked door, closed up with concrete blocks, and a small opening at the middle of the wall. This gives access to the barrel‐vaulted room under the pavement. The building appears to be a rather plain 19th‐century structure. It would once have had an open back yard, as the presence of the coal chute shows. The attic flat is a 20th‐century addition. 10 Mosley Street was, in 1827, a perfumier’s shop run by Elias Parsons. The shop was listed in later directories as a perfumer and hairdressers and in 1861‐2 Ward’s Directory mentions E. Parsons as a perfumer and at the same address P. Armstrong, solicitor. By 1865 Ward’s Directory lists 10 Mosley Street as a hairdresser but with J. B. Donnell as proprietor. He remained in occupation until after 1880 (when he was listed as a perfumier) with C. J. Garbutt listed as a solicitor at the same address, presumably in offices over the shop. The Goad Insurance Plan of 1887 shows 10 Mosley Street was a shop with three and a half floors, and a sky‐light at the rear, with substantial dividing walls between numbers 8 and 12 Mosley Street. This plan is likely to show the existing building. Kelly’s Directory of 1890 lists a number of insurance and assurance offices at 10 Mosley Street, together with a corn merchant and an oil merchant. There is no mention of the hairdresser’s shop but Ward’s directories of 1900 to 1920 list J. Scott, hairdresser, at 10 Mosley Street. By 1930 No. 10 Mosley Street appears to be solely offices and Ward’s Directory for that year records a number of insurance companies and a firm of chartered accountants at the address. The caretaker is named as Mrs. J. Gray. The Goad Insurance Plan shows the building as offices and it still has three and a half floors, but a two storey extension has been built to the rear, which is still extant. The sky‐light is no longer shown at the rear of the property. Through the 20th century 10 Mosley Street was used as offices for a range of building societies, insurance and assurance companies. Although plain, No. 10 Mosley Street does reflect the historic development and the original scale of the 18th century buildings newly built along the street and does not jar or detract from the buildings immediately adjacent. It is therefore considered that it is of some merit and makes a neutral contribution to the significance of the Area {Fiona Cullen, Heritage Specialist, 2012}. English Heritage considered the building to be late of 18th century origin – one of only a few surviving on the street. On this basis the building is of significance and makes a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area. In 2012 permission was granted for its conversion from retail to restaurant with a new shop front in 2012. The first to third floors will become flats.