Listed Building: THE PRUDENTIAL ASSURANCE (1104325)

Prudential Assurance building, now Prudential and general offices and 3 shops. 1891. By Alfred Waterhouse. Red brick and terracotta. Steep pitched plain tiled roof with moulded brick stack to left and right and on right of 3rd and 5th bays. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys and attic, 11 bays (3rd and 5th bays wide). Strong vertical emphasis. On first and second floors each bay is flanked by vertical terracotta pilasters. At centre C20 entrance doors, recessed and set behind wide pointed chamfered arch screened by segmental arch with long moulded imposts, iron grille fanlight. To left are 2 and to right 1 paired sashes each divided by brick and terracotta piers and set under moulded segmental arch with moulded panel below sill. To far left is 1 and far right 2 full bay width C20 shop windows, each set under terracotta segmental arch with dentilled soffit. On first floor at centre is a projecting moulded terracotta balcony and paired transomed sash, each sash set under cusped head. To left and right is a 4-light canted mullioned and transomed oriel window each sash set under cusped head. To left and right are 3 similar paired sashes, drip band and second floor sillband. On second floor over each oriel window is a tripartite mullioned and transomed sash. To centre and left and right are 9 paired sashes to first floor. To attic at left and right of centre bay each has similar but smaller 3-light window as second floor, facing serrated finialed gable with 6 pointed arch panels below window sill, 2 narrow round-headed slots over window head and heavy moulded projecting dentil course. Machicolated eaves cornice, 5 steep pitched dormers with projecting verges, bargeboards and brackets. INTERIOR not inspected. (Balfour A: Portsmouth: London: 1970-: 61; Lloyd DW: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs: Portsmouth: 1974-: 104; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Lloyd DW: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: Harmondsworth: 1967-: 460). Selected Sources Books and journals Balfour, A, Portsmouth, (1970), 61 Lloyd, D W , Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs, (1974), 104 Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, (1967), 460