Description

WORCESTER

SO8554NW FRIAR STREET
620-1/17/300 (West side)
22/05/54 No.44

GV II

House, now offices. Late C16/early C17 with later additions
and alterations; major repairs, and reworking of front
elevation by F W B Charles in 1983/84. Timber-frame with
rendered infill to ground-floor and stucco first-floor.
Rectangular plan of 2 bays, longitudinal axis at right angles
to the street. Building is without flank walls and thus
largely supported by its neighbours (which must therefore
pre-date it).
2 storeys and cellar. 2 first-floor windows. Renewed
close-studding to ground-floor, original bressumer and joists
to jettied upper storey. 6/6 flush sashes with moulded
architrave, probably inserted in the early C18. Shop window
and planked door to right part of 1984 restoration.
INTERIOR: retains some small square timber panelling believed
installed by Dud Dudley in the mid C17; until recently this
covered painted acanthus leaves, done in black and white on
the first-floor party walls and thought executed soon after
the house was built.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Believed to have been occupied by Dud Dudley
who ran the family ironworks. Said to have perfected a method
of smelting iron using coal as opposed to charcoal; rote
"Metalium Mastis or iron made with Pit-coale, Sea-coale etc.",
published in London in 1665. Dudley is also associated with
Nash House (qv) in New Street.
This building was originally gabled over the street with a
jetty at first-floor and possibly also at the tie beam.
Sometime later this was altered to a roof with its eaves
parallel to the street, as its neighbours. The building was in
a poor structural condition in the 1980's and the opportunity
was taken by F W B Charles to reinstate the original facade
based on the remaining evidence.
(Molyneux N, Hughes P, Price S: Vernacular Architecture Group
Spring Conference Worcs 1995: 2.7; Worcester Streets: Hughes P
and Molyneux N: Friar Street: Worcester: 1984-: 23; Charles F
W B: Survey & repair notes as part of planning applications,
1983: 83/1117, 83/1118).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26669278

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)