Details
TEWKESBURY
SO8932 HIGH STREET
859-1/6/265 (East side)
04/03/52 No.140
Clarence House
(Formerly Listed as:
HIGH STREET
(East side)
No.140 (Clarence House) and No.141)
GV II*
House in row, with shop. Early C16, refronted c1650, and
raised late C17; interior remodelled in C17, mainly c1650.
Close-stud timber-framing, plaster infill, tile roof, brick
stacks.
PLAN: A front with jettied stages lies well forward from the
original side-entry right-angle plan front range, the top
floor having a flat roof and deep bracket eaves; the long rear
wing is gabled, with C20 extensions at ground floor level. The
central well staircase is fronted by a full-width main room,
with a narrower wing beyond.
EXTERIOR: 4 storeys and basement. The top floor has a central
2-light casement flanked by horizontal elliptical bulls-eyes
with a central mullion, and 4 keys. At first and second floors
the windows run the full width of the front, with a central
canted oriel, 10 lights in all, with a transom but 3 mullions
have been removed from the first-floor central lower lights.
The plate-glass C19 shop front has fluted pilasters, and a
deep-recessed central doorway. All the framing members have
sunk panel enrichment, some including a trefoil head, and the
window members are all moulded. The bressumers above first and
second floors are moulded, and there are shaped
jetty-brackets. The top eaves soffit has long scrolled
brackets and a moulded cornice, and the returns have a carved
bracket and wall decoration. The brick stack is to the left
party wall, at the beginning of the high gable.
INTERIOR: The ground-floor shop has very large posts to the
front, but the bressumer is concealed. There are 4 bays on
varied posts and beams; one has an ovolo-moulded post and a
chamfered and stopped beam. The basement is not accessible.
The first-floor front room has a very fine mid C17
4-compartment ceiling with high relief decoration of a wreath
with rosettes, and winged cherub-heads to the spandrels. A
broad beam has egg-and-dart and palmette enrichment, carried
round the periphery of the room and into the central oriel.
The window members are ovolo-moulded, and early catches
remain. The fireplace, in the party wall to the left, is late
C19. The rear room has a prominent cruck-like corner post, and
a cambered central beam.
The tight well C17 stair, in stripped hardwood, has a large
moulded solid string, square newels with ball finials, bold
turned balusters and heavy handrail; there is a wall-rail
swept round the well. The second-floor front has a massive
central transverse beam with sunk soffits, all plastered and
with cornice mould. The third floor has a very large plain
transverse beam, with a cruck-like prop, and there are 2
blocked lights, one of these with an ovolo-moulded transom. A
rear attic room has one large rough purlin, and light
wind-bracing. There are various frame members throughout the
building; one large tie-beam has been cut into to allow access
to an upper level.
The mid C17 refronting has strong similarities to that at
No.132 (qv).
A very fine merchant's house, the mid C17 remodelling
including some notable features such as the rare surviving
plasterwork to the first-floor main chamber.
(VCH: Gloucestershire: London: 1968-: 130; Buildings of
England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and the Forest of
Dean: London: 1970-: 377).
Listing NGR: SO8931032762