Details
TEWKESBURY
SO8932 CHURCH STREET
859-1/6/155 (North side)
04/03/52 Nos.107 AND 108
Cross House
(Formerly Listed as:
CHURCH STREET
(North side)
Cross House)
GV II*
Large house, formerly two, now (Jan 1992) surgery and flat,
with 2 shops, at end of row on corner with Tolzey Lane. Early
C16, but a third storey added in C17, and all extensively
restored c1865 by Thomas Collins, the builder/restorer, who
used it as his own residence. A photograph of 1932 (Ross)
shows the building still without the shop fronts, which,
however, look like late C19 designs. Close-studded
timber-framing with rails, plaster panels, tile roofs, brick
stacks.
PLAN: a broad parallel-plan street front with 2 lower front
gables to steeply-pitched transverse roof to high end gables
has a long 3-gabled return following the curve of Tolzey Lane,
to the right. The front is jettied at first and second floors,
and the return is jettied at the first floor. A broad lobby,
to the left, leads by an offset passage to a very large stair
hall, with central passageway, and the main first and
second-floor parlours on the front corner, with fireplace on
the rear wall. 2 shops at the ground floor, and a flat in the
attic storey. The remainder (January 1992) is dentists'
offices.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, basement and attic; the 2 gables are not
identically treated, reflecting the former division into 2
properties. The left half has a 2-light casement in moulded
architrave, above a 1:4:1-light canted oriel with transom
under a hipped tiled roof. Below the jetty is a further oriel,
without transom, above the C19 decorative panelled door under
a 4-centred timber head. This is set to a stone plinth course.
The right gable has a 3-light casement above a 1:5:1-light
canted oriel with transom under hipped tiled roof. Below the
jetty is a similar canted oriel, flanked by small 2-light
casements above the transom, giving a continuous band of
windows at this level. These C17 windows are all leaded, and
have ovolo-moulded members.
Across two-thirds of the width of the ground floor is a double
shop front with deep recessed doors under a blind box with
moulded cornice and deep fascia, all to pilasters and console
brackets. In the framing the studs and rails are edge-moulded,
the bressummer face to the second-floor jetty is moulded, and
a moulded band runs across each gable above the windows. The
elevation to Tolzey Lane has timbers recently renovated or
replaced. It has a jetty at first-floor level, on carved
brackets to the left-hand end, and 3 wide gables. There are
various 3- and 4-light casements, some with transom, 2 slight
square oriels, and 6- and 7-light bays.
At the right-hand end is a door under a narrow transom light.
At the left-hand end, ground floor, is one panel of brickwork,
on a stone plinth. The back has a wide flat-roofed dormer
above the brick wall of the adjacent demolished premises.
There are 2 large brick stacks to the gables of the front
block, and one gable has a 2-light casement to the attic above
another below.
INTERIOR: attic storey not accessible for inspection. The shop
to the right has 2 very large chamfered transverse beams, with
exposed joists, and to the left 2 large moulded beams to a
central beam, and large moulded joists, as in the adjacent
lobby. The cellar has a central pier in squared dressed stone,
and some stonework in the outer walls. To No.107 the ceiling
is in concrete on steel, and to No.108 timber on a heavy
chamfered beam.
In a rear compartment, adjacent to Tolzey Lane, is a
half-cylindrical recess in stonework, possibly to a former
well, and there is some brick vaulting on cast-iron beams.
The wide lobby to the main premises is flanked by 4 bays of
linenfold panelling to dado height, with a top rail with
stopped chamfers and sunk panel, with moulded posts to lintels
with flat ogee carving and figures of various animals and
dragons. The panels are plastered. There are moulded beams on
flat arch braces, and a fourth double-wave moulded beam,
carrying broad joists with roll-mould edges.
There is a large mullioned and transomd internal glazed light
in the return arm, with a heavy beam, carried on a chamfered
post but cut off at mid span, leading to the lowest flight of
the wide Thomas Collins staircase. This rises to quarter
landings in a very large open hall or well, with moulded solid
strings, handrail, square newels with ball finials, and turned
balusters. The balustrade returns at landings. The upper
flight, set further in than the lower, has a balustraded
gallery on concave plastered support overlooking the whole,
with a 9-panel glazed laylight. 2 large mullioned casements
light the hall from the S part wall.
The front parlour, first floor, has complete C17 panelling,
with enriched pilasters, and a continuous frieze with winged
angels' heads, and a richly carved Jacobean fireplace
incorporating 3 deep arched niches. There are 2 heavy
chamfered transverse beams. The central waiting room also has
C17 panelling and an Ionic pilaster fireplace. A toilet
compartment has some linenfold panelling. Doors are mainly C19
panelled, in cable-mould architraves.
At second floor the main parlour has C18 dado panelling, and
the fireplace wall has C17 panelling, and an C18 fireplace
with an overmantel area of decorative C17 plaster with
fleur-de-lis and a coat of arms, in geometrical panels with
raised mouldings.
Thomas Collins, the one-time owner and working stone-mason,
has been referred to as "... the first important
conservator..." in Tewkesbury (VCH), and was engaged in many
important works in the town from 1860 onwards - before the
major turmoil raised by the 1870's proposals to restore the
Abbey. There is no doubt that he saved many important
structures from loss through decay or demolition. His work at
Cross House was substantial, and it is difficult to see what
the original layout may have been; as much as possible of the
early work was clearly retained, but it is not clear whether,
for instance, the detail of the main lobby is as originally
located or not. Collins is commemorated in a prominent
memorial in the S transept of the Abbey (qv). His building
firm, later Collins and Godfrey, disappeared in 1970.
(Ross K: The Book of Tewkesbury: London: 1986-: 120; Jones A:
Tewkesbury: London: 1987-; Victoria County History:
Gloucestershire: London: 1968-: 150).
Listing NGR: SO8926432698
