History

Earlier C19 house possibly a rebuilding of C17 structure of which the back wall and gable remains. Chemist's shop in the C19, known as Medical Hall, occupied by J B Francis in 1926. Occupied 2001 by the Holiday Information Centre.

Exterior

House with commercial premises, painted stucco with plain roughcast parapet. Four storeys, 2 bays, formerly with stucco cornice as on Brecknock House. Twelve-pane sash windows to upper floors, (the early C19 iron guards to 2nd floor windows mentioned in 1977 have gone). Full width C19 shop front with shop door in centre and house door to right under overall timber fascia and early C19 iron railing above. Fascia has scrolled brackets each end and raised roundels along lower moulding. Railing has anthemion motifs in frame of scrolls, and rosettes in top rail. Shopfront has 2 plate glass windows framing C20 recessed door with overlight. Panelled soffit, step with mosaic lettering 'Francis Chemist'. Six-panel door to house with rectangular overlight with radiating-bar fan tracery. Cast-iron lamp bracket attached to centre of first floor.
Rear elevation visible from Crackwell Street has paired gable with rear of Brecknock House, indicative of a much earlier construction. Painted stucco 4 storeys and attic with railed terrace and steps leading down to a lower garden. Attic 8-pane window, 2 16-pane sash windows to third and second floors and 2 24-pane windows to first floor.

Interior

Late C19 chemist's shop fittings. Shallow shelves on left side wall with pilasters over panelled cupboards. Right side has drawers with names of chemicals and pilaster framing for shelves. Coved cornices on 3 sides. Rear wall has 3-bay feature with doorways left and right and broad centre with carved wood frame and glazed lettered panels 'James Pharmaceutical Chemist' under scrolled pediment with missing centre feature, probably a clock. Doors have thin piers, part-fluted with consoles and glazed lettered panels 'Natural mineral waters' to left and 'English and foreign pharmacy' to right.

Reasons for Listing

Included as earlier C19 front with good Victorian shopfront and surviving fittings.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29485546

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

• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2