The Priory

Details

BRIDGWATER

ST2936NE ST MARY STREET 736-1/11/188 (South side) 16/12/74 The Priory

GV II

House, now offices; described from the south, garden, front. Early C18 to the main block, late C18 left wing, mid and late C19 internal alterations and mid C20 conversion to municipal offices. Flemish-bond brick, stone moulded coping to parapets, stone cornices, cills, keystones, plinth and porch, wooden cornice to right-hand block, slate roof to left and double-pitched plain tile roof to right, with brick stacks to gable ends. Double-depth plan. The south facade is in 2 distinct blocks, that to right is yellow brick. 2 storeys with attic; symmetrical 5-window range. The stacks to gable ends of the double-pitched roof are square section with moulded cornices, red brick with yellow brick recessed panels to each side; C20 dormers; the wooden cornice, high above red brick platband, is returned. To centre of the first floor a Venetian window with thick glazing bars has a moulded archivolt with stepped keystone, a pulvinated frieze to the cornices over the side windows, recessed panels and moulded plinths to pilasters and Gothic glazing bars to the central 6/6-pane sash window. This is flanked by flat brick arches to sash windows of 6/6 panes in forward frames to right and 9/6 panes with lowered cills to left above red brick platband. Windows to ground floor, now boarded up, have thick glazing bars. The red brick block to left is set well back, its slate roof is hipped to right with a gable-end stack to left. Double-depth plan. 2 storeys; 4-window range. The 3 ranges to left are stepped slightly forward and have flat arches, stepped keystones and bracketed cills to the windows; the cornice, returned to both sides, continues as brick platband across right-hand range which contains the entrance. First-floor window of this range has been lowered, probably late C19, to a level corresponding to that of older, left range; it has brick cill band spanning the whole block. A projecting Tuscan-style porch is set in the angle of the 2 blocks. The late C19 plate-glass ground-floor windows are boarded up but wrought-iron catches to former shutters remain. The early C18 street front of the main block in St Mary Street was altered late C20. 2 storeys; symmetrical 7-window range. C20 stucco eaves band over 8 plain pilasters articulates 7 bays of exceptionally fine Flemish-bond brickwork on a moulded stone plinth, the C20 sash windows are of 4/4 panes. The central stone doorcase has segmental-arched pediment over an eared architrave to C20 two-panel door. C20 wings, each with an entrance flank this facade and partly front late C18 block to right, which has 6/6-pane sash windows to first floor and blocked windows to ground floor. INTERIOR: the early C18 house retains considerable detail of that date. Entrance from St Mary Street has lobby opening into room with box cornice and egg-and-dart frieze, dado rail and two 6-panel doors set in moulded eared architraves with dentilled cornices over pulvinated friezes. Room to left was altered mid C19, the piers are of semi-elliptical section with slender Gothic-style engaged colonettes to entres, the small capitals of which support running moulding to the intrados of window arches. Rear of this room (now sub-divided) has very wide semi-elliptical-arched recess to rear with similar ornament. The early C18 staircase to rear is open-well, closed-string with 2 turned vase balusters alternating with one of barley-sugar twist and moulded handrail. The wall has dado with raised-and-fielded panelling below. The ceiling is coved with elliptical panel to centre, probably mid C19, when a semi-elliptical cove with similar ornament to front room over panelled door with painted semi-elliptical fanlight was installed. Some upper rooms have box cornices, dado rails, moulded shutters and soffits and doors with 6 raised-and-fielded panels. The late C18 wing was adapted as a council chamber mid/late C19. The first-floor level was raised to accommodate the high ceiling of the chamber which has a modillion cornice, full-height semicircular arched recess flanked by fluted Ionic columns, large white marble fireplace with elaborate cast-iron register grate, panelled shutters and soffits and 2 wide 6-panel doors set in eared architraves with pediments.

Listing NGR: ST2967836937

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

373996

Legacy System:

LBS

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