Summary
A row of three cottages, formerly a hall house with origins in the C14 which was later subdivided and extended to the rear.
Reasons for Designation
Nos. 13-17 Horse Street, a C14 hall house later subdivided and extended to the rear, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest: though subdivided and extended, a good example of a hall house demonstrating the local vernacular style
Historic interest: it originates in the C14 and contains significant historic fabric, such as the smoke-blackened roof structure
Interior: it contains unusual internal features such as the recess in No. 15, and has early, good-quality decorative fittings such as the door furniture
Group value: it has strong group value with other nearby listed buildings and makes a positive contribution to the character of the town centre
History
Chipping Sodbury was a planned New Town of the late-C12 whose primary function was to provide a market for the area. It boasted many of the features of a dominant local centre complete with residences and commercial properties along the newly laid out street. Additionally inns and, by 1284, the current parish church were also vital parts of town life.
Nos. 13-17 Horse Street are a row of three cottages which are a subdivided medieval hall house with origins in the C14. No. 15 would have been the open hall, No. 17 would have been the service range with cross passage and No. 13 would have contained the parlour rooms. The hall was floored over in the C16 and a fireplace and stair were inserted on the south wall. Following the insertion of an upper floor, dormers were added to Nos. 15 and 17. The subdivision into three cottages occurred later, and the stair of No. 15 was repositioned to the north wall. Nos. 13 and 15 have been refronted, probably in the late-C19 when they were used as shops. No. 17 had a double-height canted bay window which was removed in the mid to late-C20. The extensions to the rear are of different phases; it is likely that the first phase was coeval with the subdivision of the building.
Details
A row of three cottages, formerly a hall house with origins in the C14 which was later subdivided and extended to the rear.
MATERIALS: Rough course rubble stone elevations, some of which are rendered. There are sections of brick repair and infill. The main range has a pantiled roof and slate is used on some ancillary ranges. The chimney stacks are in brick.
PLAN: The main range runs parallel with Horse Street, roughly north - south. Now subdivided, the hall was in the central section (No. 15) and there was a cross passage to the south with the service area (No. 17). The Parlour room(s) would have been in the cross wing to the north (now No. 13). Following subdivision, ranges were added to the rear: No. 13 has two pitched ranges at a perpendicular angle and a coach house, now adjoined, No. 15 has a lean-to and No. 17 has a long pitched, gabled range on the perpendicular, with a separate stable block. EXTERIOR: The principal façade of the main range has three distinct sections. No.13 has a gabled front; at ground-floor level is a large bow window set forward, with four glazed sections of eight lights; it has a rough stone plinth and sits beneath a slate pentice roof. The modern front door is set back, in line with the face of the upper storey of the gable. The first floor has a small modern casement, and there are C20, shaped barge boards beneath the eaves. The roof line of the main range is lower on the left of the cross range. No. 15 has a gable, set forward in line with No. 13 which then drops back on the right. The gable has a modern casement to each of the ground and first floors, the front door is to the left. Both No. 13 and No. 15 are rendered. No. 17 is exposed rough coursed rubble stone and has a half-dormer in the roof. At ground-floor level the front door is to the left beneath a thick timber lintel. To the right, beneath another slimmer lintel at the same height, is a modern casement. There is a C20 casement in the dormer which has a slim, modern timber lintel.
The rear elevations are all in rough rubble stone, only the gable-rear of No. 13 is rendered. The fenestration is irregular and the windows are modern casements. No. 13, the probable cross range of the hall, projects perpendicularly to the rear; from this a further pitched and gabled range projects. A small modern lean-to porch connects the main building with the rear coach house which is a two-storey, pitched range aligned with the main range. There are large French-doors to its rear and two skylights in the rear leaf of the roof. No. 15 has a simple lean-to with a raking dormer at its rear. No. 17 has a long narrow two-storey range projecting perpendicularly at the rear, and on its north elevation is a single storey lean-to. There is a separate, two-storey outbuilding also in rubble stone with some brick detailing.
INTERIOR: The ground floor of No. 13 is an open plan, three-bay range with an extension at the rear. There are various niches in the walls revealing the location of blocked doorways and fireplaces. There is a thick beam exposed at the front of the building showing the line of the wall prior to refronting. The exposed roof structure of the main range consists of four trusses each with a collar, single purlins and a diagonally positioned ridge beam. The timbers of the main range are hand-sawn and pegged; those to the rear are machine sawn.
In the ground floor of No. 15 there is a large fireplace, now largely infilled. There is a boxed-in stair on the north wall, behind which is a blocked heavy wooden doorframe with a two-centred arch. In the east wall is a small recess with a moulded stone two-centred arch with a hook at the apex, and a stone-slab base, which may be a ritualistic washing niche. There is a plank-and-batten door to the staircase with tapered-T-strap hinges and C18 latch. There is a late-C17 plank-and-batten door between the two rooms of the first floor with mouldings to give the appearance of panelling. The battens have decorative notches and there are strap hinges with heart-shaped ends. The exposed roof structure consists of a raised cruck truss with chamfered braces rising to a tenoned collar. Above the collar is a short saddle post, from which rises a short king post supporting the diagonally- positioned ridge beam. There are single purlins and a single row of wind-braces surviving to the south side. Much of the roof structure is heavily smoke blackened.
Notable historic features within No.17 include a winder stair and a three-light leaded wooden-mullioned window at the rear. The roof has coupled rafters, a diagonal ridge-beam and single purlins in hand-sawn timbers.
There are thick axial beams with deep chamfering in each of the cottages.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: There is a range to the rear of No. 13 which was likely to originally have been a coach house, and is now connected to the main building. To the rear of No. 17 there is a separate range, likely to have been a stable block.
