Description

WORCESTER

SO8455SE FRIAR STREET
620-1/12/248 (East side)
22/05/54 No.23

GV II

House, now offices. Built for Rufus James in 1792, with later
alterations including those of mid C19. Pinkish-brown brick in
Flemish bond with stuccoed plinth, stone steps, sills and
architrave; slate roof, truncated brick end stacks with
oversailing course and pots. 3 storeys, 4 first-floor windows.
Plinth. Renewed 1/1 sashes throughout in plain reveals and
with sills and flat arches of gauged brick. Off-centre left
entrance: 2 roll-edged steps to 4-panel part-glazed door, the
upper panes have decorative cast-iron grids, lower panels
fluted, fanlight with Gothick glazing bars. Architrave has
Doric frieze and open dentil pediment. Renewed cyma moulded
cornice. Rear retains two first-floor tripartite windows with
6/6 between 2/2 sashes, 6/6 and 3/3 sashes.
INTERIOR: retains many original features including plasterwork
and joinery. Inner 6-panel door with renewed stained glass and
with fanlight with radial glazing bars. Minton tile floor to
hall. Panelled shutters to several windows; mainly 6-panel
doors with raised and fielded panels. Main narrow-openwell
staircase to full height has stick balusters, ramped and
wreathed mahogany handrail and carved tread ends; lightwell.
Dog-leg service staircase has stick balusters. Embellished
cornices to ground-floor rooms at front and to hall;
modillions to rear, ground-floor room; embellished first floor
cornices. Grey marble Regency-style fireplace to front, right
room with Art Nouveau brass grate. Large fireplace to rear
kitchen. First floor retains white marble fireplace with
fleurons; a further Regency-style white marble fireplace.
Attics have 2 fireplaces. Cellar has wine stores.
HISTORICAL NOTE: during the C18 Foregate Street was known as
'the mall' and Tymbs' Worcester Guide of 1802 notes, 'the
Foregate Street itself, by being well paved and sufficiently
broad to admit a full circulation of air seems to be generally
resorted to as a fashionable promenade.'
The Shire Hall, Statue of Queen Victoria, City Museum and
Library and Nos 15, 19, 22, 23, 24, 28, Nos 33-46
(consecutive) and No.49 Foregate Street (qqv) form a good
group.
Information on date and original owner provided by present
occupants and taken from deeds.
(Worcestershire Historical Society Occasional Papers:
Whitehead D: Urban Renewal and Suburban Growth: The Shaping of
Georgian Worcester: 1989-: 12).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26669231

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

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)