Description

WELLS

ST5445 HIGH STREET
662-1/7/90 (North side)
12/11/53 No.14
The Star Hotel

GV II

Hotel. C16 and C17 with late C18 front. Rendered and
colourwashed, pantile roofs, brick stacks.
PLAN: the layout has been much modified over a long period,
and is difficult to read. The main front range has 3
full-height plain gables to the rear, and a central wide
carriageway through the ground floor, to a long narrow
courtyard with long wings to either side. That to the right
(E) is in 3 stepped gabled sections, one of these with a
steep-pitched roof. There is no major staircase, but a dog-leg
in the left half, and a second stair in the right.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 4 wide bays. Plinth, side pilasters,
cornice, shallow parapet, ground floor has composite sash
windows of 4+12+4 panes to bays 1, 3 and 4, and a throughway
to bay 2, having a wide elliptical arch over which is set a
cantilevered hood of considerable projection, of timber with
lead cladding and a wrought-iron balcony with underbrackets,
older pattern lanterns mounted on either side of archway. To
upper floors are sash windows with exposed sash boxes to all
bays, large in scale with square panes, 12 to first-floor
units and 9 to second floor, between the two sets of windows a
long rendered panel with bold raised sans-serif capitals
inscribed "Star Hotel"; simple projecting hanging sign at
first floor level between bays 2 and 3.
The wing to the left has, facing the courtyard, various
lights, including a triple 12-pane sash with wide mullion
boxes, a paired 12-pane horizontal sliding sash, and 2
modified horizontal sashes at first floor. Opposite, in the
right wings, is a 16-pane, and a paired 9-pane sash with small
panes and some early glass.
INTERIOR: the front left reception area has three C16 moulded
beams and a C20 brick fireplace; behind is an C18 or early C19
dog-leg stair with turned newels, and stick balustrade
returned across the landing. At the rear a low-ceiled lounge
has C20 panelling, and 3 C17 chamfered and stopped beams;
below this section is a cellar with a series of brick and
stone rectangular piers carrying a broad central beam. Front
right, ground floor has 2 deep chamfered lateral beams, with
later props. The rear wing includes a large 16-pane sash to
the staircase, and over room 20 the roof includes wind-bracing
and original purlins.
The courtyard is paved in large lias setts, many of them with
a high polish from continued use. A major coaching inn which
has been continuously up-dated to maintain a position in the
changing hotel trade in the city.

Listing NGR: ST5492345755

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26662952

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

• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)