Description

BRIDGWATER

ST2936NE ST MARY STREET
736-1/11/188 (South side)
16/12/74 The Priory

GV II

House, now offices; described from the south, garden, front.
Early C18 to the main block, late C18 left wing, mid and late
C19 internal alterations and mid C20 conversion to municipal
offices. Flemish-bond brick, stone moulded coping to parapets,
stone cornices, cills, keystones, plinth and porch, wooden
cornice to right-hand block, slate roof to left and
double-pitched plain tile roof to right, with brick stacks to
gable ends.
Double-depth plan. The south facade is in 2 distinct blocks,
that to right is yellow brick.
2 storeys with attic; symmetrical 5-window range. The stacks
to gable ends of the double-pitched roof are square section
with moulded cornices, red brick with yellow brick recessed
panels to each side; C20 dormers; the wooden cornice, high
above red brick platband, is returned. To centre of the first
floor a Venetian window with thick glazing bars has a moulded
archivolt with stepped keystone, a pulvinated frieze to the
cornices over the side windows, recessed panels and moulded
plinths to pilasters and Gothic glazing bars to the central
6/6-pane sash window. This is flanked by flat brick arches to
sash windows of 6/6 panes in forward frames to right and 9/6
panes with lowered cills to left above red brick platband.
Windows to ground floor, now boarded up, have thick glazing
bars.
The red brick block to left is set well back, its slate roof
is hipped to right with a gable-end stack to left.
Double-depth plan.
2 storeys; 4-window range. The 3 ranges to left are stepped
slightly forward and have flat arches, stepped keystones and
bracketed cills to the windows; the cornice, returned to both
sides, continues as brick platband across right-hand range
which contains the entrance. First-floor window of this range
has been lowered, probably late C19, to a level corresponding
to that of older, left range; it has brick cill band spanning
the whole block. A projecting Tuscan-style porch is set in the
angle of the 2 blocks. The late C19 plate-glass ground-floor
windows are boarded up but wrought-iron catches to former
shutters remain.
The early C18 street front of the main block in St Mary Street
was altered late C20.
2 storeys; symmetrical 7-window range. C20 stucco eaves band
over 8 plain pilasters articulates 7 bays of exceptionally
fine Flemish-bond brickwork on a moulded stone plinth, the C20
sash windows are of 4/4 panes. The central stone doorcase has
segmental-arched pediment over an eared architrave to C20
two-panel door. C20 wings, each with an entrance flank this
facade and partly front late C18 block to right, which has
6/6-pane sash windows to first floor and blocked windows to
ground floor.
INTERIOR: the early C18 house retains considerable detail of
that date. Entrance from St Mary Street has lobby opening into
room with box cornice and egg-and-dart frieze, dado rail and
two 6-panel doors set in moulded eared architraves with
dentilled cornices over pulvinated friezes.
Room to left was altered mid C19, the piers are of
semi-elliptical section with slender Gothic-style engaged
colonettes to entres, the small capitals of which support
running moulding to the intrados of window arches. Rear of
this room (now sub-divided) has very wide
semi-elliptical-arched recess to rear with similar ornament.
The early C18 staircase to rear is open-well, closed-string
with 2 turned vase balusters alternating with one of
barley-sugar twist and moulded handrail. The wall has dado
with raised-and-fielded panelling below. The ceiling is coved
with elliptical panel to centre, probably mid C19, when a
semi-elliptical cove with similar ornament to front room over
panelled door with painted semi-elliptical fanlight was
installed. Some upper rooms have box cornices, dado rails,
moulded shutters and soffits and doors with 6
raised-and-fielded panels.
The late C18 wing was adapted as a council chamber mid/late
C19. The first-floor level was raised to accommodate the high
ceiling of the chamber which has a modillion cornice,
full-height semicircular arched recess flanked by fluted Ionic
columns, large white marble fireplace with elaborate cast-iron
register grate, panelled shutters and soffits and 2 wide
6-panel doors set in eared architraves with pediments.

Listing NGR: ST2967836937

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26482522

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

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)