Description

BRISTOL

ST5872NE CLARE STREET, Centre
901-1/16/540 (South East side)
04/03/77 Nos.4, 6 AND 8
Abbey Chambers

GV II

Includes: Nos.1, 3 AND 5 BALDWIN STREET Centre.
Bank, now offices. 1883. By Frederick Mew, reportedly
completed 1897 by RM Drake. Altered 1924 by Benjamin
Wakefield. Limestone ashlar, carboniferous limestone doorways,
brick and limestone cross-axial stacks, roof not visible.
Double-depth plan to a 2-sided wedge-shaped site. Eclectic
Italian Renaissance Revival style. 3 storeys and attic;
8-window range. A heavily decorated front and similar rear
elevation to Baldwin Street. Pedimented 5-window section set
forward with a 3-window left-hand section, divided by square
pilasters through a ground-floor fascia and cornice to a
modillion cornice. Pilasters are banded on the ground floor to
fluted necks and acanthus capitals, and paired fascia
consoles; plain above to small segmental pediments over lion
heads, fluted necks and carved head consoles beneath the
cornice.
A large ornate doorway has deep fluted consoles to a 3-centre
arch, adorsal Assyrian sphinxes above flank a swan's neck
pediment, and brackets each side to a fluted frieze and
pediment formed from the cornice, with acroteria; small
pedimented name panels on the jambs. C20 shop fronts each
side; the left-hand section has distyle-in-antis pilasters
decorated as the end ones.
Upper floors articulated by attached Corinthian columns to the
right and pilasters to the left, with fluted necks.
First-floor windows have pilaster jambs and entablature
lintels, console pilasters to pediments over the 3 above the
doorway, and to the middle of the wing; second floor has
pilaster jambs; C20 plate-glass windows. The frieze has small
sunken roundels set in wreaths, and acroteria to the shallow
pediment, with a low parapet behind and a central stack topped
by a segmental pediment.
The rear elevation is a 7-window range, with carboniferous
limestone doorways at each end and plate-glass shop fronts.
The doorways have banded, ovolo surrounds, consoles to shallow
pediments and rectangular lights above; upper floors
articulated as the Clare Street centre, the first floor has
alternate narrow windows with pilaster jambs, and pedimented
ones as Clare Street, with second-floor pilaster jambs and
wreaths to the entablature, which is dated 1855, 1883 and
1925. Balustrade over windows. INTERIOR: refurbished 1992.
(Gomme A, Jenner M and Little B: Bristol, An Architectural
History: Bristol: 1979-: 839).

Listing NGR: ST5864972902

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26497749

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

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)