Description

TEWKESBURY

SO8932 HIGH STREET
859-1/6/265 (East side)
04/03/52 No.140
Clarence House
(Formerly Listed as:
HIGH STREET
(East side)
No.140 (Clarence House) and No.141)

GV II*

House in row, with shop. Early C16, refronted c1650, and
raised late C17; interior remodelled in C17, mainly c1650.
Close-stud timber-framing, plaster infill, tile roof, brick
stacks.
PLAN: A front with jettied stages lies well forward from the
original side-entry right-angle plan front range, the top
floor having a flat roof and deep bracket eaves; the long rear
wing is gabled, with C20 extensions at ground floor level. The
central well staircase is fronted by a full-width main room,
with a narrower wing beyond.
EXTERIOR: 4 storeys and basement. The top floor has a central
2-light casement flanked by horizontal elliptical bulls-eyes
with a central mullion, and 4 keys. At first and second floors
the windows run the full width of the front, with a central
canted oriel, 10 lights in all, with a transom but 3 mullions
have been removed from the first-floor central lower lights.
The plate-glass C19 shop front has fluted pilasters, and a
deep-recessed central doorway. All the framing members have
sunk panel enrichment, some including a trefoil head, and the
window members are all moulded. The bressumers above first and
second floors are moulded, and there are shaped
jetty-brackets. The top eaves soffit has long scrolled
brackets and a moulded cornice, and the returns have a carved
bracket and wall decoration. The brick stack is to the left
party wall, at the beginning of the high gable.
INTERIOR: The ground-floor shop has very large posts to the
front, but the bressumer is concealed. There are 4 bays on
varied posts and beams; one has an ovolo-moulded post and a
chamfered and stopped beam. The basement is not accessible.
The first-floor front room has a very fine mid C17
4-compartment ceiling with high relief decoration of a wreath
with rosettes, and winged cherub-heads to the spandrels. A
broad beam has egg-and-dart and palmette enrichment, carried
round the periphery of the room and into the central oriel.
The window members are ovolo-moulded, and early catches
remain. The fireplace, in the party wall to the left, is late
C19. The rear room has a prominent cruck-like corner post, and
a cambered central beam.
The tight well C17 stair, in stripped hardwood, has a large
moulded solid string, square newels with ball finials, bold
turned balusters and heavy handrail; there is a wall-rail
swept round the well. The second-floor front has a massive
central transverse beam with sunk soffits, all plastered and
with cornice mould. The third floor has a very large plain
transverse beam, with a cruck-like prop, and there are 2
blocked lights, one of these with an ovolo-moulded transom. A
rear attic room has one large rough purlin, and light
wind-bracing. There are various frame members throughout the
building; one large tie-beam has been cut into to allow access
to an upper level.
The mid C17 refronting has strong similarities to that at
No.132 (qv).
A very fine merchant's house, the mid C17 remodelling
including some notable features such as the rare surviving
plasterwork to the first-floor main chamber.
(VCH: Gloucestershire: London: 1968-: 130; Buildings of
England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and the Forest of
Dean: London: 1970-: 377).

Listing NGR: SO8931032762

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17538461

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.

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