2-26 Shakespeare Street, NE1

Image: © Mike Quinn Taken: 7 Aug 2014

Probably by Walker and Wardle for Richard Grainger, c 1836. The street was so named because it is near Image Originally both sides of the street contained houses above shops, but after the theatre fire of 1899, the houses and shops along most of the north side were incorporated by Matcham into the refurbished theatre. The pattern of the design on the south side follows the standard wing-link-pavilion-link-wing arrangement. The two links, each nine windows wide (ie three houses) were plain and separated by a grand pavilion. Unfortunately, in 1894 the owners of the Masonic Temple in Pilgrim Street Image broke through the facade with an inappropriate three bay section just to the left of the central pavilion; the bay's four storeys are all much taller than Grainger's. The overall effect is to completely destroy the symmetry of the street - see the north side, shown in Image Nos.2-12 and 14 are (separately) Grade II listed http://list.historicengland.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1024744 and http://list.historicengland.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1024745 . No.16 is included in the Grade II listing for Image The Buildings of Grainger Town - No.32. See Image

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