Description

BRIDGWATER

ST2937SE HIGH STREET
736-1/10/94 (North side)
24/03/50 No.8
and Royal Clarence House
(Formerly Listed as:
HIGH STREET
(North side)
Royal Clarence Hotel incorporating
No.8)

GV II

Hotel. c1834, converted into shopping centre in 1980s.
Probably by Benjamin Baker. Painted Flemish-bond brick, stone
blocking course, cornice (repaired with wood), cills and
porch; pantile roof with brick stacks to right and centre of
ridge. L-shaped plan.
3 storeys with attic; 17-window range to High Street and York
Buildings. Four C20 dormers to the front. The High Street
facade is symmetrical 6-window range, a curved bay to the
right-hand corner has 2 windows and the rest are on the right
return in York Street.
The main block of 9 windows has a cornice and blocking course;
3/6-pane sashes to second floor and 6/9-panes to full-height
sashes on first floor, except 2 to right which have higher
cills and that to far right is blind.
To centre of street front is a portico with paired Ionic
columns and late C19 cast-iron railings above; to centre is a
low-relief cast-iron plaque of the town arms with a castle on
a bridge, a star and a fleur-de-lys, to left the words
"R.C.Mayor", to right "Esq"; it was formerly on the old
cast-iron Town Bridge (qv). The moulding of cornice of portico
continues across main building as a string course.
No.8 to left, now part of the hotel, has separate stucco
facade of similar date with painted stone cornices, blocking
course, pilasters, cill band and dressings.
4 storeys; symmetrical one-window range. Above the C20 shop
front a semicircular recess with moulded archivolt and imposts
frames a 6/3-pane sash window, probably formerly 6/6-panes
truncated by the shop fascia; above is a 3/6-pane sash, both
flanked by pilasters supporting a substantial cornice. Attic
storey has a 3/3-pane sash window, panelled pilasters, cornice
and blocking course.
INTERIOR: the first floor retains some 6-panel doors, moulded
cornices, reeded cornices and dado rail; especially room to
curved corner which also has a high skirting board;
closed-string dogleg service stair to rear has stick balusters
and turned newels.
This was noted as the principal coaching inn in Bridgwater.
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N: South and West Somerset:
London: 1958-: 98; VCH: Somerset: London: 1992-: 203).

Listing NGR: ST2980637071

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26501687

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)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings