Summary
A pair of C16 Tudor merchant’s houses; originally with shops at ground floor and domestic and commercial workshop accommodation above. Now (2024) a community heritage project called the Folk of Gloucester.
Reasons for Designation
99-101 Westgate Street, Folk of Gloucester, a pair of C16 Tudor merchant’s houses, are listed at Grade II*, for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a good example of C16 Tudor merchant’s houses with surviving timber-framed jettied structure;
* for their legible plan form and high-quality internal features, that despite alteration, provide clear and discernible evidence relating to the original construction and functions of the buildings;
* because they exhibit high quality craftmanship from this early period and include surviving fitting and internal decorative schemes that are reflective of the style and fashion of the time, including rare and important wall paintings.
Historic interest:
* as notable examples of medieval merchant’s houses surviving along Westgate Street, a testament to the area’s trading activity and prominence during this period;
* for their association with the pin making industry in Gloucester.
Group value:
* with 103 Westgate Street (Grade II*) and the Pin Factory Annexe (Grade II) with which they share a history;
* with the collection of surviving medieval timber-framed buildings along Westgate Street, which together create a notable group of merchant’s houses from this early period, including 100 Westgate Street (Grade I) opposite.
History
From the late C14, Gloucester’s trade industry, principally in corn and wine, enriched a small but influential group of merchants who monopolised official positions of the city and displayed their prosperity in houses located within the central parishes. A few notable examples of these medieval and post medieval merchant’s houses survive along Westgate Street as testament to the area’s trading activity and the prominence of these wealthy office holders throughout the late medieval and early modern periods. During this period the parish of St Nicholas, comprising of the lower parts of Westgate Street with the Island and the Quay, was a very populous and wealthy part of the City.
99-101 Westgate Street were originally built in the C16 as two timber-framed dwellings each comprising shops with domestic and workshop accommodation. Since then the buildings have had various uses and been interconnected to make one building.
In 1548 a wealthy clothier, John Sandford, owned 99 Westgate Street and most likely used it to manufacture and store cloth as well as domestic accommodation. Surviving wall paintings, both plain schemes and more elaborate grotesque work, throughout the building are reflective of this period and status.
From the late C16 until the mid-C19 pin making was an important industry in Gloucester, with John Tilsley firmly establishing the industry in the City during the C17 and the decline of Dutch competition leading to its expansion in the C18. By the C19 pin making was Gloucester’s main industry, with 9 brass pin manufacturers employing approximately 1500 people and exporting across the world.
From 1743 William Cowcher occupied the building and parts of it were used for pin manufacturing by Cowcher, Kirby Beard and Tovey. During this period, it was generally referred to as Messrs. Kirby, Beard and Co. 99 and 101 were linked during this period, with doorways opened between the two buildings. Access was also created to the adjacent three-story service block now known as the former pin factory annex (Grade II). Alterations to accommodate use as a pin factory included the cutting back of the original three gabled frontage to form the hipped roof, the introduction of windows and skylights allowing the roof space to be utilised, the insertion of an annealing forge (a specific furnace for heating metal required to manufacture the pins) and the erection of a rear wing to number 101.
The building ceased to be used as a pin factory from around 1850, when it was sub-divided and reverted to use as shops and domestic accommodation. Between 1900 and 1933 it is known that number 99 was used as an undertaker and number 101 a sweetshop, a cobbler and a fishmonger.
Gloucester City Council purchased the building in 1933 and it underwent a restoration project by H Stratton Davis and H F Trew. Some internal partitions were removed, leaded lights were inserted into the first-floor windows and the Victorian shop fronts were removed and replaced with the present ones. In 1934 a reproduction Victorian staircase by Estcourt and Co was introduced to number 99.
Since then the building has been a museum and is now (2024), along with 103 Westgate Street (Grade II*), the Folk of Gloucester; a community heritage project operated by The Gloucester Civic Trust (2024). A further repair and restoration project was undertaken in 2022.
Number 101 has been known locally for many years as Bishop Hooper’s House because it is believed that Bishop Hooper, the Anglican Bishop of Gloucester and Protestant reformer executed for heresy in 1555, stayed at the property the night before he was burnt at the stake. However, there is no evidence to support this claim.
Details
A pair of C16 Tudor merchant’s houses; originally with shops at ground floor and domestic and commercial workshop accommodation above. Now (2024) a community heritage project called the Folk of Gloucester.
MATERIALS: timber-framed construction; some surviving oak staves woven with laths, daubed with red clay and straw to interior. Part rendered with some brick infill under plain tile roofs. Brick additions at the rear, with pantile roof tiles and two brick stacks.
PLAN: originally two buildings now interconnected.
Number 99 is a two-bay, three-storeyed single range (originally cross-gabled) with return rear wing of four bays running north to south. The first bay to the east includes a through passage.
Number 101 is a two-bay, three-storeyed single range (originally cross-gabled) with a C17 rear wing linking to later ancillary buildings behind.
EXTERIOR: three timber-framed bays over three storeys each with a projecting jetty facing onto Westgate Street; two bays form number 99 and number 101 is of one bay.
The entire ground floor consists of C20 shop fronts with Tudor style arched heads and glazing bars. Doorways have been incorporated into the windows in the second and third bays creating access to the two buildings. The street frontage has a continuous bressumer supported by storey posts. Five of the original six storey posts survive; two as slender carved colonnettes supporting knee braces, the fifth is a C20 insertion. The posts either side of the eastern passage are carved with stopped jamb mouldings. The entrance to the passage is infilled by two C20 two-panel doors and above is a panel with turned balusters.
At first-floor level the treatment of each building differs. Number 99 is framed with intermediate rails and close studding and has two three-light oriel windows with single side-light casements. The remains of finely moulded glazing bars survive in this wall; evidence that the building had a continuous run of casements across the front elevation during the C16. The moulded bressumer to the first-floor jetty and the moulded intermediate rail break forward across the fronts of the oriels, each of which has moulded corner posts and moulded cornices below the second-floor jetty. The casement openings to either side of the oriels are infilled and have rectangular leadlight glazing. Number 101 is rendered between the storey posts and has two inserted three over three sashes with glazing bars. A central rectangular stucco panel with a moulded frame between the sashes is inscribed "BISHOP HOOPER'S LODGING".
The second storey has close studding between storey posts supported by a deep-moulded bressumer across the whole length of the building. Slender shafts under knee brackets from the earlier jettied attic survive but the attic is now replaced with an C18 moulded cornice. Number 99 has two C20 three over three sash windows and number 101 has two C19 three over two sash windows. Above are three half-hipped gablets with a brick chimney stack to the right.
The left return of number 99, beyond the eastern passage, is of four timber-framed bays with storey-posts rising to a jetty at second-floor. Ground, first and second-floors have close studding and intermediate rails with some evidence of original door and window positions. Several of these are inserted C18 sash windows. To the rear, a C20 lean-to projection creates internal access to the former pin factory annex and courtyard beyond.
The rear elevations of both buildings are plain rendered with pitched roofs and casement windows. At ground floor a C20 projecting red brick corridor with continuous glazing runs into a late-C20 extension with arched double doorway and two arched window openings; this now (2024) houses a café.
INTERIOR:
Number 99: the front range of 99 Westgate Street has a single room at ground floor, with exposed cross beams with deep V-shaped chamfers resting on jowled main posts. The partition to the rear has been partially opened to create access to the rear wing.
The rear wing has two rooms; most likely originally three. All have exposed timber-framing and cross beams with ovolo mouldings and stepped square stops supported on square upright posts with kneeler braces. Some beams retain the remains of a C16 red concentric circle paint scheme. The first room has an inserted C20 oak staircase. Empty mortice holes provide evidence of the earlier smaller staircase. A timber-framed partition with brick infill and an inglenook fireplace with a large plain timber lintel divides the first and second room. This fireplace has a later C19 fire surround, and an earlier grate can be seen behind. The rear room has a C19 fireplace surrounded by C19 vertical boarding. The east and west walls are timber framed and retain late C16 moresque design wall paintings. The design is of stars and crosses; the crosses containing moresque Islamic inspired designs, while the stars are filled with fleur-de-lys and Tudor roses.
The front range at first floor has two principal rooms with exposed timber framing and deep chamfered ceiling beams. The next two rooms have had partitions removed but retain plain chamfered ceiling beams with broach stops. The C20 staircase is in the north-west corner. A large expanse of black and white C16 grotesque wall paintings survive on infill panels, including a central candelabrum flanked by symmetrical foliage and beast with dragon heads and the figure of a musician playing a hooked harp. The next room has simpler plain framing with an exposed dragon beam and a later inserted Cotswold stone fireplace with chamfered edges and brick stack with relieving arch above.
The front range of the second floor has been divided into two rooms with exposed timber-framing to the outer walls and a painted brick central partition. A reused timber framed wall divides the front and rear range. The rear range has had all partitions removed and is one double-height space with staircase in the north-west corner. A C17 annealing forge has been inserted. The floor is laid in wide oak boards following the angled pattern created by the dragon beam below. A C20 inserted doorway in the south-eastern corner provides access to the former pin factory annex. The roof has A-frame trusses with occasional braces and has had several dormer windows inserted. Its construction is exposed to the ridge. Joists remain in places, suggesting it was once ceiled in some areas.
Number 101: the front range of 101 Westgate Street has a single room at ground-floor level with exposed timber framing. The placement and moulding of the ceiling beams indicate that this bay once had a through passage running along the dividing wall between 101 and 99. The ceiling beam running east to west has a deep chamfer, while the beam running north to south is plain.
The C17 rear range has had all partitions removed at ground-floor level. Evidence survives in the exposed timber frame that this space was originally of three bays. The western wall retains evidence of earlier openings and a back to back fireplace remains, although now fragmented by the loss of the rest of the partition it would have sat within. A well, discovered during the 2022 restoration works, is visible under glass towards the rear and a C21 disabled lift and stepped access have been introduced. A C20 brick extension beyond leads into the C20 former dairy, now café, which has exposed brickwork and an exposed triangular truss roof structure.
At first floor, the front range retains one principal room with exposed timber framing and an enclosed C19 stair in the south-eastern corner. In the rear range all partitions have been removed. Several plain chamfered cross beams survive with C19 upright posts. A doorway in the north-eastern corner provides access to number 99.
At second floor the front range has exposed close studding to the front wall and an enclosed C19 staircase. The rear range has exposed timber-framing and ovolo-moulded ceiling beams supported by half-timber uprights with kneeler braces. There are C19 plain chamfered uprights at the midpoint.
Cellars across all three bays in the front range are stone walled. Number 99 has a cellar under the first bay, number 101 has a cellar with dividing wall where the original passageway would have been. Both are accessed by stone steps from within the rear range.
