Summary
Public house, dating to the C17, on the site of an earlier building, modifications to the front elevation in the early C20, rear extension extended in the late 1960s.
Reasons for Designation
Castle Inn, 91 High Street, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a C17 inn which retains a substantial amount of historic fabric and which contributes to the character of an architecturally varied historic streetscape.
Historic interest:
* as part of the urban development of Newport’s historic core.
Group value:
* the building is in close proximity to a large number of listed buildings and forms part of a strong historic grouping.
History
Newport’s first charter was granted by Richard de Redvers, fourth Earl of Devon in the late C12 and this is generally regarded as marking its foundation. The settlement was laid out on the low-lying ground along the western bank of the River Medina using a grid-style plan. Recent topographic analysis suggests that Newport may have developed around an existing informal trading settlement located at the head of Medina estuary, in the vicinity of Sea and Quay Street (Alexander, 2021). The High Street is one of five east-west running streets within the grid layout. High Street and Pyle Street extend the full length of the grid, divided by a market square, and form the planned core of Newport, with other shorter parallel streets to the south (South Street) and north (Lugley and Crocker Street). They were all largely in place by the mid-C13.
In the C14, the Isle of Wight was frequently subject to raids by French forces during long-running conflicts between England and France. According to historical documents, during one of the raids in 1377 Newport was severely damaged by fire and much of the population fled to Carisbrooke Castle. It appears that Newport was functioning again a few years later. During this century, records indicate that the population of Newport did decrease, most likely due to several wider economic factors, and did not significantly increase until the mid-C17. The town was incorporated as a borough in 1608 under a new charter granted by James I. Newport did not significantly expand beyond its medieval limits until around the late C18. By the mid-C19 there had been a more significant expansion of the town, including the development of its suburbs, which continued into the C20.
The Castle Inn received its first license on this site in 1550. The current building is understood to date from the C17. This building was severely damaged by fire in the late C17; the datestone in the front elevation is believed to refer to the initials of the then licensee, REA, and the year when the fire insurance was affected: 1684. The plan form of the Castle Inn is shown on the 1864, First Edition Ordnance Survey (OS) map. This shows a rectangular building (labelled as ‘Castle Inn’) with its long side parallel to the street and a small, rear extension to the east. A source notes that the front elevation was reconstructed in the early C20, the level of reconstruction is unknown (Lloyd and Pevsner, 2006, p181). In around the late 1960s, the eastern extension appears to have been extended northwards.
Details
Public house, dating to the C17, on the site of an earlier building, modifications to the front elevation in the early C20, rear extension extended in the late 1960s.
MATERIALS: the front (north) elevation is brick-faced. The front elevation’s leaded windows and door are understood to date to the C20; their surrounds and lintels were also understood to have been reconstructed in the C20. The side (west) elevation, facing Mill Street, is of rubblestone. The rear elevation of the main part of the building facing the High Street and the western elevation of the rear extension, are of painted brick. The roof is covered in clay tiles.
PLAN: the building consists of a rectangular front range orientated east-west, parallel to the High Street. Connected to the north-eastern corner of this front range is a rear extension, orientated north-south.
EXTERIOR: the front (north) elevation facing the High Street, is of two storeys, four bays wide and directly fronting the pavement. The elevation is faced in brick in a combination of various bonds, predominantly Flemish with grey headers and red stretchers. The western edge has alternate quoins. There is a single doorway located in the second bay. It is bounded by plain pilasters, supporting a lintel with lead flashing above. Across the elevation, there are six recessed, timber-framed, C20 windows (three at ground floor and three at first floor). These consist of three panes of leaded lights, separated by plain timber mullions, with block sills. The ground-floor windows have thick lintels. The ground-floor window in the third bay has an extra light (a total of four). There is a small terracotta plaque in the second bay, at first-floor level, that bears the date 1684 and the initials R E A. There are brick chimney stacks at either end of the elevation and there is a third chimney stack at the rear where the extension meets the main building.
The stone side (west) elevation, facing Mill Street, is predominantly blank and also fronts directly onto the pavement. The outline of the gable roof is picked out in bricks and the brick chimney stack extends partially down into the gable end. The rear, north elevation has a catslide roof. There are two window openings: one, which has been infilled, is located towards the centre of the elevation between ground and first floor; and a second, modern, window has been inserted at the northern end of the elevation.
Where the front range meets the rear extension there is a small first-floor, gable-end projection, the blank north face of which consists of painted bricks. To the western side of this small projection is a second brick chimneystack. The first floor of the rear extension also consists of painted brick. Two windows with at least twelve panes are partially visible. The Castle Inn has pitched roofs, covered in clay tiles. The roof over the front range is orientated east-west, although there is a small northwards projection with a gable end at first-floor level where the front range meets the rear extension. The roof of the rear extension is orientated north-south.