Summary
House or possibly inn, constructed in the mid to late-C18, possibly containing an older (C17) building at its core. The building was extended to the north during the mid-C19 and to the rear by 1885. The front range was converted to use as a shop by 1954 and is currently (2022) in use as offices. A range of late-C19 outbuildings to the rear were converted to mews houses in the late-C20.
History
The town of Leominster traces its origins to the establishment of a religious house there during the C7 or earlier. The Saxon settlement endured repeated Viking raids and is recorded as a sizeable town in the Domesday Book (1086), with 27 households. In the early-C12, King Henry I established a Benedictine Priory in the town and granted a foundation charter for the town’s market. The town thrived throughout the later medieval period, despite periodic unrest due to its location in the border region. Leominster wool was prized across Europe and bestowed considerable wealth upon the town. The town centre retains many medieval and early-modern buildings; secular buildings are timber framed while surviving Priory buildings are constructed of local sandstone. The town centre retains an essentially medieval street pattern, with long, narrow burgage plots fronting the north-south spine road of Broad Street-High Street-South Street, and Corn Square (the historic market place) lying to the east of the High Street. The remains of the Priory, dissolved in 1539, lie to the north-east of the town centre. The town remained a prominent local centre into the C18 and C19. During this period, many timber-framed buildings were replaced (or refronted) by brick buildings with Classical elevations. Many houses in the town centre were partially converted to commercial use and equipped with shopfronts during the later-C19 and C20.
26 Broad Street was originally constructed during the mid to late-C18 as a townhouse or possibly an inn. It may contain elements of an earlier building, as indicated by exposed timber framing at second-floor level to the rear elevation of the three-bay, southern range. Sometime during the mid-C19, the two northern bays of the Broad Street frontage were added, possibly as a separate dwelling. Further additions were extant by 1885, comprising rear (eastward) ranges of stabling and outbuildings. The property also had a large rear garden at this time. By 1954 the front range on Broad Street had been converted to use as a shop. The rear ranges of stables and outbuildings were partially reconstructed and converted to mews houses during the late-C20, and are now (2022) separate properties under the address, Alton Court Mews. The principal range onto Broad Street is currently in use as offices.
Details
House or possibly inn, constructed in the mid to late-C18, possibly containing an older (C17) building at its core. The building was extended to the north during the mid-C19 and to the rear by 1885. The front range was converted to use as a shop by 1954 and is currently (2022) in use as offices. A range of late-C19 outbuildings to the rear were converted to mews houses in the late-C20.
MATERIALS: the principal, west range is constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond with a stucco ground floor and stucco window dressings. The roof covering is slate. The rear (east) ranges (partially late-C20) are of painted brick.
PLAN: the building is arranged on a U-shaped plan with a principal, western range fronting Broad Street and two lower ranges running eastward forming a courtyard. The two northern bays of the front, west range project forward slightly and lie under a separate roof to the southern three bays.
EXTERIOR: the principal, front range is composed of two distinct sections. The southern three bays are of three storeys in height with a stone-coped, painted brick parapet concealing a pitched roof behind. The northernmost bay of the southern section is wider than the two southernmost bays. Within the central bay on the ground floor is a carriage entrance leading through to the courtyard behind. Immediately south is a six-panelled door with a plain, rectangular overlight. Within the two southernmost bays are a pair of two-pane sash windows set within stucco blind arcading with flanking Doric pilasters. The first and second floors each contain three windows with stepped, keyed stucco lintels. The first-floor windows have two-over-two glazing and the second-floor windows have three-over-three glazing. Above the second-floor windows is a modillioned band.
The two northernmost bays project forward slightly and are of two rather than three storeys – the first floor occupies the same volume as the first and second floors of the three southern bays. A stone-coped, painted brick parapet with a modillioned band conceals a partially hipped roof. The ground floor has heavy, rusticated stucco dressings.
There are two round-headed, two-over-two sash windows within moulded and vermiculated surrounds with large, modillion keystones rising to a deep sill band. Over the sill band, the lower part of the first floor is stuccoed, with pilasters rising to the jambs of the two first-floor windows. The first-floor windows are two-over-two sashes set within heavy architraves with segmental pediments on enriched corbels. A pair of ridge chimney stacks rise from the north party wall and the central bay.
There are two doorways each (all with late-C20) doors on the north and south walls of the carriage way. There is also a timber sash window on the north wall with a central mullion. The carriage way and courtyard to the rear (east) are paved in York stone slabs.
To the rear (east), the easternmost bay of the southern, three-bay range carries a small lean-to, with timber casement windows to its north and east faces. Above, the first floor carries a Yorkshire (horizontal) sliding sash window with nine-by-six glazing, while the second floor has exposed timber framing with a central rail and a fixed, timber window possibly in the location of an earlier window. The east elevation of the carriage-entrance bay carries a six-over-six glazed, timber sash window under a segmental-arched brick head on the first floor. The two easternmost bays of the northern, two-bay range have a tall doorway on the ground floor with a C20 door and a plain, rectangular overlight with a central mullion. On the first floor, there is a pair of timber sash windows with six-over-six glazing, segmental-arched heads and stone or stucco cills, and a dentillated eaves course above.
Further to the east, the mews houses step down to two storeys adjoining the front (west) range, then again to one storey. Both the north and south ranges have pitched roofs. These elements are of painted brick and contain a variety of timber casement and sash windows.
