Listing Text

SX 9668 BRIDGE HILL
871/18/720 TOPSHAM
11-NOV-52 BRIDGE INN PUBLIC HOUSE

II
Public house. Probably of C18 origin with lower, right-hand wing late C18/early C19, and at rear former brewery and malt-house of similar date.
MATERIALS: earliest part of cob and stone, right-hand wing brick below and tile hung above under hipped roof. Rear wing mixture of cob, stone and brick. Part of rear wing slate-hung. Walls painted pink apart for slate-hung portion. Roofs slated except for left-hand lean-to with pantiles and left side of rear wing with pantiles and asbestos sheeting. Brick ridge stacks.
PLAN: 2 public rooms in right hand half of main range leading off corridor, further public room in former brewery/malt-house.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys. Single storey lean-to addition on left. In original block 3 windows below, 4 above. Windows in left-hand have bay casements, others have sashes. 2 doors. Right-hand wing has 3-sided bay projection with sash windows to ground and first floors. On return 3-light sashes to ground and first floor windows. Further to right mixture of casement and sash windows of varied dtails.
INTERIOR: small left-hand lounge with high level cupboard set in back wall and high back curved settle, glazed above, defining one wall of corridor. Hatch cut c1945 to serving area/private parlour. Tap room at front with fixed seating, panelled behind, and 2 tiers of cupboards to left of fireplace. Panelling in corridor with horizontal boarding. Between lounge and former brewery/malt-house small room with brick built furnace that provided hot air for hop-drying and malting operations. Brewery/malt-house is a large rectangular room, malting floor removed with mid-C20 brick fireplace and one hop-shoot survives.
Front part of this public house is remarkable for survival of its C19 planning and fittings.